The Human Emperor c1-2382
Page 394
Two, three, four… one general after another was felled by Wang Chong before they could get close. After they died, the energy within their bodies gathered into a bloody mist and surged into Wang Chong's body.
Kaclack! In just a few short moments, Wang Chong's strength swelled once more. From Tier 7 of the Profound Martial realm, he ascended to Tier 8, then Tier 9, finally stopping at the peak of Tier 9.
"Not good!"
Tumi Sangzha's face paled. No matter how slow he was, even he had realized by now that he had just committed an enormous mistake.
His original intention had been to call over more elite experts and have them surround Wang Chong so that they could finally finish off this disease threatening the livelihood of Ü-Tsang.
But Tumi Sangzha had forgotten that with Wang Chong's current level of cultivation, many Tibetan generals were no match for him.
These lower-level Tibetan generals charging up the summit could only become nutrients for Wang Chong. With their cultivation snatched away, Wang Chong would only become more and more terrifying.
When Wang Chong was on the border of Tier 7 and Tier 8, he was already a powerful threat to him, even giving him the impression that he was standing on the precipice of death. Now that Wang Chong had absorbed the energy of these Tibetan generals, didn't that mean…
As this thought flashed through his mind, Tumi Sangzha's body went stiff. A faint wound, as thin as a thread, suddenly appeared on his forehead. Then it spread down to his nose, his mouth, his chest… In the end, it spread down to the metal giant, cleaving this massive being in two.
I didn't think… that I would actually die at his hands!
Tumi Sangzha's eyes were wide, his entire body as cold as ice. Wang Chong had been too fast, far too fast. He didn't have the time to think about pulling out his scimitar before being killed.
Thump!
Under countless gazes, Tumi Sangzha, standing on the shoulder of the metal giant, suddenly exploded into pieces.
And with his death, those metal men and giants summoned by the Halo of Black Iron instantly collapsed into powder and pieces.
"Kiiiill!"
A constant stream of Tibetan soldiers charged up the mountain, hoping to drown Wang Chong under their massive wave. Any general in these circumstances, no matter how powerful, would ultimately end up running out of energy and dying.
But Wang Chong was different.
He was a tireless killing machine constantly piling up more and more corpses on the mountain, massive numbers of Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang soldiers dying at his hand.
During this massacre, Wang Chong's strength was only increasing, ascending. In the end, under countless fearful gazes, he proceeded toward the Imperial Martial realm desired by countless warriors.
I won't lose! I won't! I'll never lose!
The cries in Wang Chong's heart grew louder and louder. He no longer felt pain, and the countless sabers and swords hacking down at him were either blocked by his sturdy armor or jolted away by that majestic barrier of bloody Stellar Energy.
Fifteen minutes, thirty minutes, forty-five minutes…
Time ceased to have meaning for Wang Chong. He had already forgotten about the outside world, about himself, about everything except fighting.
The piles of corpses on the mountain grew higher and higher. After some time, a majestic energy, as hot as lava, burst from Wang Chong's body.
Boom!
Wang Chong heard a massive sound in his mind.
In that moment, the entire world seemed to fall quiet. For the first time, that endless flood of Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang soldiers, who had once seemed heedless of death, now showed signs of panic and fear.
"The Imperial Martial realm! He reached the Imperial Martial realm!"
"How could this be?!!"
"We're only True Martial realm soldiers! We're no match for Imperial Martial realm experts!"
"Retreat! Hurry!"
"The Great Minister has given the order! Those who retreat will be executed! If we can't reach the summit, we'll all be killed!"
……
The soldiers surrounding Wang Chong all looked at him with fear and shock, some of them even beginning to tremble.
By now, Wang Chong had killed thousands of Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang soldiers. Each of them had thought that he would eventually run out of energy and die, but in reality, not only had Wang Chong not fallen, he had only grown more and more terrifying, even breaking through into the Imperial Martial realm.
Wang Chong stood amidst thousands of corpses, his hair being blown across his face by the wind. But this could not conceal that pair of vicious, cruel, insane, and bloodthirsty eyes, red and monstrous.
Wang Chong only needed to glance around him to stir cries of panic. This boundless killing intent caused all the horses and soldiers to stumble back in retreat.
"Make way! I'll kill him!"
A cold and icy voice came from above, and a massive figure plummeted from the sky and crashed down in front of Wang Chong.
Clang! A massive ten-armed bodhisattva appeared, his ten arms pointed up to the sky like sharp swords. For a moment, he appeared like a blazing sun of gold.
The ten-armed bodhisattva slightly leaned his body to look down at Wang Chong, energy crackling around him.
Finally, Longqinba, the leader of the Five Tiger Generals, had appeared.
Boom!
Before anyone could react, a golden saber energy, ten-some zhang tall, suddenly descended from the sky, and Longqinba appeared to not even have moved.
In terms of speed and strength, Longqinba had always been one of the best. He could only be above Wang Chong, not below.
Buzz! Longqinba was fast, but Wang Chong was no slower. Wang Chong suddenly raised his arms and swiftly blocked Longqinba's blade.
Rumble! The mountain trembled, dust filled the air, and a fissure ten-some zhang long appeared across from the bodhisattva.
But the area several zhang around Wang Chong was calm, the ground unbroken. There was no sign that any saber energy had passed by.
Longqinba's powerful blow had been completely blocked by Wang Chong.
How could this be? He actually blocked an attack from my bodhisattva?
Within the ten-armed bodhisattva, Longqinba's pupils constricted, a look of shock appearing on his face. In all three sides of this conflict, besides the elite commanders like Wang Yan, Xianyu Zhongtong, Huoshu Huicang, Duan Gequan, and Geluofeng, only Sun Liuyue could fight on even terms with him.
But not even Sun Liuyue could use this sort of method to take the full force of his saber. He did not dare to believe that Wang Chong, a youth known for his intelligence and schemes, was actually such an accomplished martial artist that he could exchange blow for blow with him.
What sort of martial art is he cultivating? No one can contend against the arts of the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple! This is impossible!
Longqinba felt a massive shock.
For Wang Chong to rise so greatly in strength in such a short time defied all the principles and common sense of martial arts that he understood. Not even the Great Snow Mountain, with all its secret martial arts manuals, could accomplish such a thing.
"Brat, what in the world are you?"
Longqinba suddenly realized that both he and the Great Minister had completely underestimated this youth of the Great Tang. Everything about him could not be appraised using common sense.
Boom!
Regardless of what Longqinba thought, such things were completely meaningless to the current Wang Chong. A moment after Longqinba attacked, Wang Chong quickly began his counter.
Chapter 628: The Decisive Battle! Exhaustion!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Buzz! In a flash of light, Wang Chong vanished from in front of the ten-armed bodhisattva. Before the surrounding Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang soldiers could see where he was, Wang Chong had already appeared at the bodhisattva's side.
; Saber clashed against sword, sending sparks flying. Wang Chong's terrifying strike had been completely blocked by one of the bodhisattva's ten arms. The Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple's ten-armed bodhisattva was renowned for the flurry of attacks it could unleash, and few could match it in terms of attack speed. In addition, it had no blind spots, the ten arms guarding the front and back, up and down, left and right.
No matter which angle Wang Chong attacked from, the ten-armed bodhisattva was completely capable of blocking him.
"I'd like to see just how much skill you actually have!"
Longqinba was already completely provoked by Wang Chong's attack. As the leader of the Five Tiger Generals, Longqinba didn't believe that he would lose to the Great Tang youth. Clangclangclang! The golden bodhisattva began to spin four of its sword-like arms, letting out a harsh shriek.
Boom! Longqinba and Wang Chong disappeared, both of them moving at their greatest speed. The blurs left behind by their movements were visible all across the summit.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Waves of energy swept over the mountain, throwing corpses and stones everywhere and filling the air with dust.
This was the first time Longqinba had been forced to push the ten-armed bodhisattva to this level. The ten arms of the bodhisattva, coupled with Longqinba's innate strength, were like five or six Imperial Martial realm experts fighting with Wang Chong at the same time.
On the Tibetan Plateau, Longqinba's attacks reigned supreme. Neither Ciren Xiangxiong nor any of the experts from the other tribes could compare.
But his opponent this time was Wang Chong.
Though Longqinba's ten-armed bodhisattva was fast, Wang Chong was not slow. The six-arms technique were being worked to the limit as if he himself had grown these six arms. Meanwhile, the Little Yinyang Sword and Wootz Steel sword in his left and right hands were being utilized to their maximum extent.
Although Wang Chong's six-arms technique was far inferior to Longqinba's ten-armed bodhisattva, it was enough to contend against Longqinba.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The ten arms were like the sharpest swords, each one like a supreme expert. They constantly stabbed down, their saber energy leaving behind no trace as they hacked at Wang Chong.
The war was approaching its end and Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang were on the verge of victory. Thus, Longqinba did not care that the ten-armed bodhisattva was consuming massive amounts of energy in its peak state and would be certain to leave him very weak for some time after the battle.
Wang Chong was at the top of the Great Minister's must-kill list.
In truth, even Longqinba regarded him as a thorn in the side, a mortal affliction for the Tibetan Plateau. Although few outsiders knew of the plague now rapidly spreading across the Tibetan Plateau, Longqinba knew.
This sort of opponent with these sorts of schemes, this sort of ability and wisdom, was not someone the Ü-Tsang Empire could ever let go.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The more he fought, the more astonished Longqinba was. The youth with bloody eyes before him had clearly fallen into madness, but the fighting power he displayed indicated otherwise.
Although he was in a state of madness, his abilities chilled the heart of even an elite expert like Longqinba. Not only was he incredibly fast, his every move was refined, simple, swift, effective!
Each move had nothing extraneous, only that which could kill the enemy in the swiftest and most effective manner.
"Attack! Help General Long kill that brat!"
"Forward! Kill that brat and be richly rewarded!"
"General has already held him down. Let's go up and together and give General a hand!"
……
Seeing Longqinba halting Wang Chong, the surrounding Tibetan soldiers who had just arrived from the rear saw their chance and charged forward to offer their assistance.
Buzz!
The situation suddenly changed. As if sensing a threat from elsewhere, Wang Chong vanished from Longqinba's vision in a flash of light. Before Longqinba could react, screams rose from around him. Hundreds of Mengshe–Ü-Tsang soldiers were suddenly flung into the air, cut into pieces before they could even hit the ground.
"Not good!"
Even as the leader of the Five Tiger Generals, Longqinba still instantly grimaced at this sight. But it was all too late. The sky was filled with cries of battle, and soldiers who didn't know the truth of the situation were rushing in from every direction, provoking Wang Chong.
Wang Chong had apparently completely abandoned Longqinba, his targets switching to the other Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang soldiers.
A martial artist skilled in the application of the Little Yinyang Art and wielding the exceedingly sharp Wootz Steel sword was essentially invincible on a chaotic battlefield like this.
Even more disastrous was that Wang Chong's Little Yinyang Art could allow him to constantly absorb energy from others, and it seemed like he had no limits.
"Aaaaah!"
Screams rose and fell as the entire southeast battle line became Wang Chong's slaughtering ground. Boom! By the time Longqinba's ten-armed bodhisattva had arrived and attacked Wang Chong, the mountain side was covered in the corpses of Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang soldiers of both the Profound Martial realm and True Martial realm. The place had been transformed into a slaughterhouse.
"Contemptible thing, I'm going to kill you!"
When he saw the thousands of soldiers Wang Chong had slain, Longqinba's eyes went red as rage rose from his chest to the top of his head.
Wang Chong dared to kill people in front of him, treating him like he didn't exist? When had the imposing leader of the Five Tiger Generals of the Ngari Royal Lineage ever been so humiliated?
Rumble! His dantian vibrated with a metal clattering. Longqinba was instantly covered in furious Stellar Energy, the bodhisattva raising all ten of its arms as it unleashed a storm of blows at a speed several times faster than before.
But before Longqinba could approach Wang Chong, a new development occurred.
Buzz!
With no warning, an invisible strength suddenly descended from the sky and wrapped around Longqinba like a set of chains. Before Longqinba could even respond, he felt his strength drop an entire level.
This sudden change in cultivation level made Longqinba almost lose control of the ten-armed bodhisattva, and he almost fell to the floor.
"Congratulations to user! For killing (far more than) ten foreign generals, you have successfully activated the Bane of Generals Halo!"
Longqinba had no idea that a cold voice was currently ringing out in Wang Chong's mind. However, he could see that a brand-new halo had appeared under Wang Chong's feet.
This was a massive Halo of Thorns, its colors a mix of gold and black. Within the halo, it was possible to see visions of various sorts of armaments: sabers, spears, swords, halberds, axes, and shields.
Rumble! In an instant, that mysterious halo spread from Wang Chong's feet to cover the entire mountain.
If one looked down from the sky, they would notice that countless halos were beginning to flicker. This time, however, it was not the halos of ordinary soldiers, but all of the halos of the generals that dropped down a tier.
At this moment, all the generals on the mountain had their strength suppressed a tier, including Longqinba.
What sort of halo is this?
Longqinba had paled. In all his long life, he had never seen a halo like this.
In this world, the effects of halos were to strengthen oneself, but Wang Chong's were different. They were apparently focused on weakening the enemy. Perhaps he could disregard it when they had only weakened ordinary soldiers, but this time, even Longqinba had been affected!
With the appearance of the Bane of Generals Halo, the course of the entire battle instantly changed.
Boom! A sword light shot forward like a lightning bolt to Longqinba. In the past, Longqinba would have been completely capable of stopping it, but this time, Longqinba was
just a moment too slow.
Squelch!
The sound of a sharp weapon entering flesh!
Longqinba had only thought about intercepting this attack when a sharp edge had plunged through his Stellar Energy and his armor to stab into his heart.
Thud!
Longqinba's knees went soft, his hands grasping the sword as he incredulously kneeled. He could feel his energy being drained out of his body by that evil sword.
It shouldn't be!
Even when he died, Longqinba couldn't believe that though he had come to kill Wang Chong, he had been the one who ended up being killed. The Bane of Generals Halo had disrupted his tempo, leading to his death.
A fight between experts was decided in seconds.
At the levels that Wang Chong and Longqinba had reached, the smallest difference in speed could result in death, and this was the weakening effect of the Bane of Generals Halo!
"General is dead!"
When Longqinba fell, his hands grasping the sword, the entire army instantly fell into chaos.
Everyone was dumbstruck by this sight.
As they looked at Longqinba's kneeling corpse and that monstrous red figure in front of him, a deep fear appeared in their eyes. The person in front of them was no man, but some inhuman demon god.
No one had imagined that Longqinba would die! And to die in this way!
Swoosh!
A longsword separated Longqinba's head from his neck and sent it flying into the air, causing a powerful panic to spread through the crowd. The Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang soldiers who had been bravely charging into the fray now felt a terrifying dread.
Wang Chong seemed like an unkillable monster. No matter how many people came or how they fought, he would never lose and never tire.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
……
Wang Chong continued to battle on the summit, going wherever he could find people. The bloody light would leave the ground covered in terrified corpses wherever it passed. Ten, one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand…
Those screams only spurred on Wang Chong's killing intent, and he wreaked havoc on the mountain like a god of death.
A long, long while later, after what seemed like countless epochs, all was silent. The entire world seemed to have fallen into a deathly stillness. The blood in Wang Chong's eyes began to fade and he gradually began to regain his senses. At this moment, he could not sense a single person around him.