The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  “Everyone, listen to me. If not for Young Master Wang, we probably all would have died in this cavern. Moreover, Young Master Wang was the one who captured that man. In my view, everything in this satchel should be given to Young Master Wang!”

  The crowd fell silent at Zhao Qianwei’s words.

  “That’s right! These should all belong to Young Master Wang! I agree with Elder Zhao!” Someone quickly stepped forward and supported Elder Zhao.

  The others also began to voice their agreement. “Yes, we should give this all to Young Master Wang!”

  The situation underground was extremely perilous, and if not for Wang Chong, who knew what would have happened to them? These leaves were nothing compared to the favor Wang Chong had shown by saving their lives.

  Even Wang Chong was surprised to see this. After experiencing the backstabbing of the martial arts world, he was left rather startled by this development.

  “There’s no need! I only need ten pieces. The rest can be divided amongst the rest of you.”

  After a few moments of silence, Wang Chong took ten leaves from the satchel.

  Wang Chong had arrived at this number after meticulous calculation. For an expert of Wang Chong’s caliber, although the air underground was extremely thin, it was fine if he just needed to move around. What he truly needed to worry about was dealing with traps and fighting with powerful foes.

  In a low-oxygen environment, it was impossible to fight with opponents for very long, and the lack of oxygen itself would greatly limit a martial artist’s strength.

  Wang Chong estimated that seven leaves would be enough for any possible battle in the caves, and the remaining three were reserves to be used when needed.

  “This…”

  Zhao Qianwei exchanged glances with the crowd behind him, rather taken aback by this. He had believed that Wang Chong would take all the leaves for himself, but Wang Chong only ended up taking ten.

  “Heh, since Young Master Wang has already spoken, everyone does not need to be polite. Take it!” Young Master Qingyang directly said.

  “Young Master Wang is truly benevolent. We were the ones who misunderstood. I will remember the favor Young Master has shown, and in the future, if Young Master requires anything, this Zhao Qianwei walk through fire to carry it out,” Zhao Qianwei respectfully said.

  “Count me in too!”

  “Me too!”

  “I as well!”

  The other martial artists excitedly called out in agreement.

  Wang Chong smiled, but just when he was ready to say something, he felt a familiar warmth coming from his bosom. Wang Chong paled. Everyone in the cave was looking at Wang Chong at this time, so they instantly noticed his change in attitude.

  Young Master Qingyang stepped forward and asked in surprise, “Brother Wang, what’s wrong?”

  But Wang Chong seemed to not hear the question. He solemnly reached into his bosom and extracted a square box.

  In the darkness of the cavern, the constantly blinking green light on top of the box seemed extremely eerie.

  Everyone stared in confusion at the blinking box in Wang Chong’s hand, but Wang Chong instantly felt his heart sink.

  The men in black!

  This thought flashed through his mind.

  He was far too familiar with what the blinking of the light on the box meant. Only when those mysterious and cruel men in black were near him would the box give this sort of reaction.

  Although all was silent around him, Wang Chong now felt an immense danger. No one understood more than him how terrifying and brutal the men in black were.

  As the cavern seemed to fall into absolute silence, everyone focusing on Wang Chong, a panicked bellow suddenly echoed through the darkness.

  “Run!”

  Boom! It was like a bolt of lightning had crashed down. The cavern was suddenly brimming with tension.

  “What happened? What’s going on?!”

  The martial artists in the cavern began to panic, even Zhao Qianwei caught off guard. No one knew what was going on, but all of them had heard Wang Chong’s shout.

  Panic and unease were infectious. No one knew what it was that Wang Chong had sensed, but all of them could sense the intense sense of danger he communicated through his voice.

  Wang Chong had barely spoken when a cruel laughter began to echo through the cavern.

  “Hahaha, you react rather quickly, but can you really get away?”

  Chapter 1474 - The Sudden Appearance of the Bamboo Hat Men!

  Chapter 1474: The Sudden Appearance of the Bamboo Hat Men!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Before Wang Chong could do anything, a massive fireball howled out of a distant cave and exploded in the crowd.

  “Aaaah!”

  A shockwave of energy ripped through the area, tossing ten-some screaming martial artists into the air, and black flames seethed and churned. These black flames were extremely clinging, and they even seemed capable of burning Stellar Energy.

  “Save me! Hurry and save me!”

  “Who’s attacking us?!”

  “Ah!”

  Screams, explosions, furious curses, and blind attacks echoed ceaselessly around the cavern, and all was in chaos. And this was only the beginning.

  Right behind the black flames, a dazzling crescent moon of saber energy howled out. Thudthudthud! One martial artist after another was caught off guard, cut in half by this peerlessly sharp saber energy without even having time to dodge.

  These people had survived the mandibles of the Darkshadow Spider, but died to this abrupt attack.

  “Let’s go! Everyone must leave here!”

  Wang Chong let out one last howl of warning, and he immediately charged into another cave.

  The black flames were the Fire of Mara, and the crescent moon saber energy was from one of the bamboo hat men. Wang Chong was familiar with both these things. If it were just one person, Wang Chong would have never retreated, but Wang Chong was well aware that it wasn’t just one or two, but several dozen men in black waiting for him.

  With his Psychic Energy, Wang Chong was even able to sense that man wearing the three-eyed deer mask who had turned his Stellar Energy into golden hands and forced open the barrier around the Origin Immortal Formation. This person’s energy made even Wang Chong shiver in fear.

  Such strength was not something that they could stop. Staying here would only mean death. Moreover, in the brief time that had passed, Wang Chong had sensed three vicious energies locking onto his body from a distance.

  It was the three bamboo hat men!

  Bang!

  Wang Chong placed a green leaf in his mouth, pushed his energy to its limits, and then used the Void Movement Technique to escape with astonishing speed.

  Not long after Wang Chong was gone, a blood-chilling Stellar Energy filled the cavern. Swish! Swish! Swish! Right after this Stellar Energy, several massive arcs of saber energy flickered within the cavern, flitting past those fleeing martial artists.

  Those fleeing martial artists touched by the saber energy suddenly went stiff. Their eyes opened wide, their eyeballs trembling, and their bodies oozed terror. But there was nothing they could do.

  Whoosh!

  In a gentle breeze, a bizarre figure appeared ten meters behind them.

  This man was slightly leaning forward, a hand pressed against the hilt of the saber on his waist as if he had just sheathed it. And the bamboo hat on his head indicated his terrifying identity.

  Splurch!

  As the man sheathed his saber, those twenty to thirty fleeing martial artists at the very back split apart at the waist. The top halves of their bodies slid to the ground while their lower halves remained standing. After some time had passed, they collapsed like wooden pillars.

  The thick scent of blood filled the air.

  “He reacted very quickly!”

  After easily dispatching these twenty-some powerful martial artists, the ba
mboo hat man turned to look in the direction Wang Chong had fled. They had come very quickly and done their utmost to conceal their energies. The Psychic Seal underground had also served as a natural aid to their efforts.

  But after just a few moments, almost all the martial artists had fled. If not for Wang Chong’s preemptive warning, the men in black would have killed them all.

  “This Child of Destruction is truly difficult to deal with. The thing that old scoundrel from Sindhu gave him means that we’ll be discovered before we can even get close to him.”

  “Relax! He can’t get far!” said a deep and cold voice, tinged with evil and cruelty.

  The two other bamboo hat men emerged from the cave in the back. The bamboo hat man at the very back possessed an almost boundless energy like that of a mighty storm. This was clearly their leader, the one who could transform into a golden giant.

  Both of them had eyes gleaming with cold light so that they appeared like torches in the darkness.

  There was no sunlight more than sixteen thousand meters underground, and one’s vision was extremely limited. Even Wang Chong had to use Psychic Energy to assist him. But for the three bamboo hat men, the underground cave network might as well have been bathed in sunlight, and they could make out every single detail.

  The three stood side by side in the cave, and behind them, numerous black-clothed experts with cold auras and somber expressions emerged.

  A few moments later, another powerful energy emerged behind them, as bright as the blazing sun. The man with the three-eyed deer mask slowly strode forward.

  “Milord!”

  All the other men in black lowered their heads at the sight of this man. Even the three bamboo hat men bowed, meek expressions on their faces.

  The masked man said nothing, his gaze sweeping over the cavern. He quickly focused onto the massive ancient tree in the center and the spider threads hanging from it.

  Although Wang Chong had cleaned up many of the threads, many more still remained.

  The sight of those scattered white threads caused the masked man’s eyes to flash in surprise.

  “Milord, what’s happened?” one of the bamboo hat men asked, noticing the shift in the masked man’s eyes.

  The man in the three-eyed deer mask did not immediately answer, but his eyes turned contemplative.

  “I truly didn’t think that someone would be able to drive away that many-legged beast. Last time we entered these caves, we lost quite a few men here,” the masked man indifferently said.

  As he spoke, he focused on a thread that stretched from the top of the tree to the ground. He flicked his finger, and with a ding, that sharp thread that could cut through steel and even damage Wootz Steel was instantly cut in two.

  If Wang Chong, Young Master Qingyang, and the other martial artists had been present, they would have been flabbergasted. It was obvious that this person had honed his bolts of energy to such a terrifying level that not even the white spider threads could cut through them.

  And one could use this to extrapolate his level of cultivation.

  Thwish!

  Suddenly, with a piercing whistle, a black tube flew out of another cave. After it traveled some fifty or sixty meters, a hand extended and seized it. The man in black opened it, read its contents, and walked up behind the masked man.

  The man in black bowed and reported, “Milord, we’ve searched the area. The people from the Origin Immortal Village have all vanished. They have probably already noticed us.”

  The cavern instantly became deathly still.

  “Is that so?”

  The masked man suddenly sneered.

  “They were the ones who essentially dug out all these interconnected caves. They’re the mice, and this is their nest. It was impossible to completely conceal our presence from them.”

  “Then what do we do, Milord?” the man in black asked.

  “Don’t worry about it. When the time comes, they will naturally appear before us. Yellow Warrior, I leave the Child of Destruction to you. Kill him as quickly as possible! And then we will go to complete the final mission,” the deer-masked man sternly said.

  “Ha, Milord, be at ease. Leave this matter to me. That brat won’t get away!”

  The leading bamboo hat man gave an evil smile, and then he waved his hand behind him.

  “Everyone, follow me!”

  Several individuals shot forward, and they had soon vanished into the cave network like ghosts.

  ……

  Meanwhile, Wang Chong was frantically rushing through the caves. For some reason, Wang Chong felt that even though those men in black had not pursued, there was something constantly clinging to him, constantly staring into his back.

  No matter how fast he moved, he couldn’t escape this sensation.

  “What’s going on here? I’ve absorbed the Nightmare Beast’s Psychic Energy and evolved my own, so it should be impossible for someone to lock onto me without my notice!”

  Wang Chong was using the Void Movement Technique to its absolute limit, appearing like a wisp of smoke as he advanced through the caves. His mind was rapidly turning as he tried to find out the problem, but he failed to make any headway.

  But a few moments later, he felt a stifling feeling from his chest. Grimacing, Wang Chong took another green leaf out and put it in his mouth. The stifling sensation soon vanished and his Stellar Energy once more began to flow smoothly, his speed picking back up.

  Thank goodness for these leaves! I should be able to last for a while!

  Wang Chong inwardly sighed in relief.

  But before Wang Chong could even complete a full breathing cycle, he heard a mocking voice behind him, like that of a cat playing with a mouse.

  “Haha, kid, you truly are rather quick-witted, actually using the Righteous Alliance to deal with us. But this time, I’d like to see where you can run!”

  “How could this be!?”

  Wang Chong’s body trembled in shock. His Psychic Energy had already spread to all the surrounding caves, but he had seen no sign of that bamboo hat man.

  There was no time for Wang Chong to deeply ponder, as an immense sense of danger surged forward, engulfing his mind and causing his blood to freeze.

  Chapter 1475 - The Mighty Yellow Scarf Warrior!

  Chapter 1475: The Mighty Yellow Scarf Warrior!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Bang! Wang Chong’s right foot stomped on a wall as he adjusted his course and rushed forward.

  At almost the same time, a giant hand of stone emerged from a wall and smashed into the position Wang Chong had just occupied. Debris exploded into the air as the passage behind Wang Chong half-collapsed.

  It’s the bamboo hat leader!

  Wang Chong’s heart trembled as he recalled the bamboo hat man who could transform into a golden giant. When this man transformed, he immediately possessed inconceivable strength, able to turn a martial artist’s Stellar Energy into slabs of stone.

  Wang Chong suddenly thought of something.

  But before he could explore the idea, another massive stone fist hurtled toward him. Wang Chong immediately sent his own steely Stellar Energy to counter it.

  Bang!

  Two fists, one large and one small, collided in the air. Clickcrack! The thick Stellar Energy around Wang Chong began to crack and splinter, countless pieces of stone dropping to the ground.

  Wang Chong was in no mood to fight a prolonged battle. After making this single punch, he dodged away like a snake, allowing that giant fist to collapse a part of the passage again.

  “It’s useless! You can’t escape!” the bamboo hat leader sneered, and his voice clung to Wang Chong like a shadow. It was like he was somehow able to accurately know Wang Chong’s position.

  A few moments later, several explosions came from up ahead. Wang Chong could clearly see that thirty-some meters away, a massive giant fist had appeared for a moment, bringing down a large section of the stone pa
ssage.

  The bamboo hat leader had realized that he could essentially cut off Wang Chong’s escape routes and trap him.

  “Not good!”

  Wang Chong grimaced and shot forward like a cannonball. Just before the passage fully collapsed, he managed to squeeze his way through. Right behind him, massive boulders came tumbling down.

  “Hmph, so what! I’ll just bring down all the passages, and then we’ll see how far you can run!”

  The bamboo hat leader’s cold and sinister voice echoed through the caves. It was obvious that Wang Chong escaping like a mud fish had provoked his fury.

  Bzzzz! The earth began to shake and it seemed like the entire cave network around Wang Chong might collapse.

  Buzz!

  At this time, one of Wang Chong’s eyes was open while the other was closed, its pupil turned silver. Wang Chong had entered the world of energy.

  “Heh, don’t get too ahead of yourself! You really think I can’t touch you?!” Wang Chong suddenly said, his voice much calmer.

  For a moment, the bamboo hat man had seemed unfathomable and beyond the realm of martial arts. He even seemed able to freely control the earth over an extremely long distance. But after a few exchanges, Wang Chong had come to realize that while formidable, the bamboo hat leader was not as frightening or invincible as he had initially imagined.

  “What? You stupid and ignorant thing, I’d like to see what sort of trick you might have!”

  The bamboo hat leader’s voice came from all around, brimming with scorn and disdain. The abilities of his ‘Yellow Scarf Warrior’ were at their best here, deep underground where the rock was thickly packed. Dealing with these weak martial artists was as easy as flipping over his hand.

  For Wang Chong to say that he could do anything to him was truly laughable.

  Rumble! As the bamboo hat leader was about to use the power of the Yellow Scarf Warrior once more, Wang Chong suddenly sent a vast stream of Psychic Energy hurtling through the air. It surged into the rock layer, traveling through the earth, and after traveling nearly one thousand meters from Wang Chong’s current location, it came upon a concentrated core of yellow energy.