The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  “How is this possible?” the Wushang Village Chief blurted out, somewhat unable to control himself.

  That was a disciple of the Origin Immortal Lord, a successor of the world’s number one ‘Supreme and Infinite Origin Immortal Art’. Each one of these disciples had been an incredibly talented genius, a peerless existence.

  This third-generation successor from the end days of the Eastern Han Dynasty had already been half a step into the Subtle realm, and he was much stronger than the other guardians encountered in this underground palace.

  And the mysteries and strengths of the Supreme and Infinite Origin Immortal Art had allowed his true strength to surpass other experts of the same level. Thus, even though the Demonic Emperor had fought with him for so long and with such great difficulty, he had still almost died.

  But now, Wang Chong was saying that he had taken control over him.

  He had taken control of this near-Subtle-realm expert, and he had done so while on the verge of falling apart from his cultivation defect.

  A moment ago, the three of them had believed that Wang Chong would be killed.

  Wang Chong smiled and began to explain what had happened. Wang Chong had seemingly performed a miracle, taking control of this terrifying expert that could oppose Subtle realm experts. It was truly a most praiseworthy deed.

  But only Wang Chong knew just how close he had been to death.

  Wang Chong’s Psychic Energy barrage on the third-generation successor had not been very useful, and there had even been a moment where Wang Chong had begun to despair, believing that he really would die to the hands of this walking corpse.

  But in the end, Wang Chong had managed to win.

  In the end, a Psychic Seal from nearly one thousand years ago had not been able to stand up against the Psychic Energy of someone at his prime. The river of time had even ground away at the user of the seal, much less the seal itself.

  Wang Chong’s final victory had come to be because he had come to understand a certain principle as he battled with that seal.

  Psychic Energy was also a type of power, and while the Psychic Seal on this successor was powerful, it did not possess limitless power. Each bit of its power consumed was power that it could not get back.

  This was also why they had another seal on their bodies that could repel Psychic Energy.

  This had been a clash of Psychic Energy, and while the level of the seal had certainly been incredible, Wang Chong’s tangible Psychic Energy had managed to win the battle.

  Wang Chong’s tale left the other three in the hall stunned and speechless.

  The Origin Immortal Lord’s powerful seal that had lasted for nearly one thousand years had been broken by Wang Chong, and Wang Chong had even taken control of the third-generation successor… If this matter got out, it would undoubtedly leave all the martial artists of the world stunned.

  Each successor of the Origin Immortal Art had been an uncrowned king of their era, the true world’s number one, but Wang Chong had managed to take control of one of them!

  As the Demonic Emperor Old Man recalled how even the three of them were so hard-pressed against this foe, he found himself unable to say anything.

  “Your Highness, can you make that walking corpse move?” the Lone Silence Ancestor cautiously said, even changing the way he addressed Wang Chong.

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man and the Wushang Village Chief failed to notice anything, but Wang Chong shot a profound glance at the Lone Silence Ancestor and smirked. He seemed to realize something, but he kept the revelation to himself for the moment.

  “Mm!”

  Wang Chong nodded.

  “Although I’ve taken control of this walking corpse, I still have a little work to do… Wait a moment for me!”

  Wang Chong closed his eyes and began to communicate with the consciousness inside the successor’s body. A while later, the motionless successor’s body trembled and then stood up.

  Boom!

  A moment later, the third-generation successor turned around and stared with his lifeless eyes at the four. Boom! Golden light exploded from his body, and the Origin Immortal Stellar Energy surged out. The Stellar Energy traveled for six or seven meters before stopping and beginning to ceaselessly churn.

  “Wang Chong, can you control those golden compasses?” the Wushang Village Chief asked, an expectant look in his eyes.

  The fortress of golden compasses created by the Origin Immortal Art was one of the strongest defensive techniques in the world. It was able to completely neutralize the Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art, the Myriad Spirit Sea Art, the Wushang Village Chief’s Yang Ren Divine Art and White Dragon Divine Art, and also the Lone Silence Ancestor’s Gonggong Divine Art. This feat alone was enough to make it the world’s number one art.

  If Wang Chong could have the third-generation successor use this golden compass fortress, the group would have another way of protecting themselves as they ventured deeper into this dangerous place.

  They would also have it much easier when dealing with the seemingly endless traps of the Origin Immortal Treasury.

  Wang Chong opened his eyes and said, “I’ll try!”

  Boom!

  A few moments later, an even more dazzling golden light burst forth, transforming into a millstone-sized golden compass that floated in the sea of Origin Immortal Stellar Energy around the third-generation successor.

  Hundreds more golden compasses began to manifest, and a short while later, that grandiose and dazzling golden fortress had emerged.

  The golden fortress was the height of two adult men and protected the third-generation successor from all angles. It exuded a divine golden light and seemed utterly unconquerable.

  “!!!”

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man, Wushang Village Chief, and Lone Silence Ancestor were all shocked by this sight, but they were also delighted.

  “Hahaha, wonderful. Your Highness, with this walking corpse, we have a protective talisman. We’ll be much safer no matter where we go!”

  The Lone Silence Ancestor’s eyes shone as he gazed at that war-god-like successor and heartily laughed.

  He had believed that all of them would die to this successor, and he had never expected such a reversal. The third-generation successor was now on their side!

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man and the Wushang Village Chief said nothing, but the looks of gratitude in their eyes said everything.

  “Chong-er, it seems that you’ve already surpassed your master!”

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man sighed.

  The master was not necessarily inferior to the disciple, and the disciple was not necessarily inferior to the master. The Demonic Emperor Old Man felt sincere happiness over Wang Chong’s performance.

  Meanwhile, the third-generation successor was not done yet.

  Under Wang Chong’s control, the golden pavilion of the ‘Trayastrimsa Heaven’ appeared behind the third-generation successor, creating a golden halo that illuminated the darkness like the sun.

  The third-generation successor reached behind him, and the Trayastrimsa Heaven pavilion collapsed into a twenty-two-section halberd that was covered in golden inscriptions. As it did so, the third-generation successor swelled in power.

  Even the Arab War God who Wang Chong had fought at Talas appeared lackluster compared to the third-generation successor at this moment.

  Chapter 1498 - The First Layer of the Origin Immortal Art!

  Chapter 1498: The First Layer of the Origin Immortal Art!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Now that the battle was over, the group of four began to recover.

  Wang Chong had the most severe injuries, though the Demonic Emperor Old Man, Wushang Village Chief, and Lone Silence Ancestor also had rather serious injuries. The strength of the group had plunged, and in this place covered in traps, they could die at any moment.

  Moreover, there were still the martial artists, the mysterious men in black, a
nd the callous and cruel Origin Immortal Villagers. No one knew when they might arrive.

  They needed to recover as quickly as possible and continue their exploration.

  Recovering energy this deep underground was definitely not easy, but with the help of the third-generation successor, the work was halved.

  Bang!

  A palm pressed down on Wang Chong’s shoulder, and a surge of Origin Immortal Stellar Energy entered his body. Wang Chong’s cultivation defect flare-up was suppressed first, and then with the help of a pill from the Lone Silence Ancestor, Wang Chong was able to swiftly heal more than half his wounds.

  After healing his own wounds, Wang Chong had the third-generation successor transmit energy into the bodies of the Demonic Emperor Old Man, Wushang Village Chief, and Lone Silence Ancestor. With the assistance of an Origin Immortal Art successor half a step into the Subtle realm, the three of them were able to recover much faster than expected.

  A few moments later, the Demonic Emperor Old Man stood up and said, “Let’s go!”

  There were still people behind them, and the sooner they got into the heart of the treasury, the sooner they could get the world’s number one art.

  As the group advanced, the Demonic Emperor Old Man intentionally took the rear and sent a stream of Psychic Energy into Wang Chong’s mind.

  “Chong-er, did you find it?”

  Wang Chong knew what his master was asking about, and replied with Psychic Energy, “No, his mind is fragmented and broken. I only managed to get the first layer of the Origin Immortal Art, but nothing else.”

  In this battle, Wang Chong didn’t just gain control over the third-generation successor. With a sweep of his Psychic Energy, he could now get a rough understanding of how the Origin Immortal Art circulated through the body.

  And for psychic practitioners like Wang Chong, the mental fragment in the third-generation successor’s body was an enormous treasury.

  When Wang Chong was using the Beast Taming Art to control him, he also obtained some fragmentary memories. Most importantly, Wang Chong even managed to obtain the first layer of the Origin Immortal Art.

  This was definitely an unexpected harvest.

  “The Origin Immortal Lord was a meticulous planner, and he would have never let us obtain the complete Origin Immortal Art from these walking corpses. But it’s good enough that you’ve obtained the first layer. You should be able to use it to deal with your injuries.”

  With his last words, the Demonic Emperor Old Man revealed his true goal.

  The nullification power of the Origin Immortal Art was far too terrifying, and it was probably the only power capable of dealing with the nearly one thousand kinds of Stellar Energy within Wang Chong’s body.

  “Your disciple will do his best to comprehend it!” Wang Chong sternly said.

  The mantra for the Origin Immortal Art’s first layer consisted of more than three thousand words, and each word was so abstruse and profound that an ordinary person would be completely confused.

  Time was limited, and Wang Chong studied the operation of the Origin Immortal Art in the third-generation successor to verify his understanding and hasten his progress.

  Comprehending the Origin Immortal Art in such a short amount of time was simply impossible, but what Wang Chong comprehended from the Origin Immortal Art was already enough to greatly soothe his rampant Stellar Energy.

  Footsteps echoed through the underground world. Behind the palace guarded by the third-generation successor was a long corridor.

  Mysterious carvings and complicated pictures had been carved onto the azure walls. Each image depicted an apocalyptic scene.

  All of these images exuded an air of mystery.

  Even the Lone Silence Ancestor began to sense that this underground palace was not something as simple as a treasury.

  After crossing half the length of the corridor, the Lone Silence Ancestor suddenly called out with a look of extreme caution in his eyes, “Careful!

  “Up ahead is the area guarded by the second-generation successor. We’ve all seen the strength of the third generation, so the second generation is probably even more powerful. You can’t get careless!”

  The entire corridor was plunged into an eerie silence, and an invisible tension began to saturate the air.

  “Chong-er, are you ready?”

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man suddenly turned to look at Wang Chong, as did the Wushang Village Chief and the Lone Silence Ancestor.

  “Mm!”

  Wang Chong solemnly nodded.

  Buzz!

  A moment later, a wave of Stellar Energy emerged from the body of the third-generation successor, transforming into a golden dome that enclosed the area for several dozen feet around him. This included Wang Chong’s group.

  The auras of the group of four were immediately enclosed by the Origin Immortal Stellar Energy and disappeared.

  By using the energy of the third-generation successor’s Origin Immortal Art, they could hide from the senses of the second- and first-generation successors. This was a plan the group had developed while they were recovering.

  But not even Wang Chong was sure whether this plan would actually work.

  Each generation of the walking corpses was stronger than the one before. If the third generation was already this strong, they didn’t want to fight the even stronger second and first unless it was absolutely necessary.

  Hiss!

  Wang Chong took in a deep breath and commanded the third-generation successor to walk to his side and place a palm on his shoulder.

  Origin Immortal Stellar Energy surged into his body, and a moment later, Wang Chong activated his Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art, absorbing the Origin Immortal Stellar Energy and spreading it through his body.

  At this moment, the supreme Origin Immortal Stellar Energy was probably the only Stellar Energy Wang Chong could absorb.

  Boom! Wang Chong left only a part of the Origin Immortal Stellar Energy in his body, using the Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art to send the rest into the bodies of the Lone Silence Ancestor, Wushang Village Chief, and Demonic Emperor Old Man.

  Upon obtaining this Stellar Energy, their three auras suddenly changed.

  Four living people and one dead all seemed to have the same energy. Only an extremely close inspection would turn up anything strange.

  “Let’s go!”

  After doing this, Wang Chong had the walking corpse lead the way while he and his master brought up the rear. With bated breath and focused minds, they cautiously advanced.

  None of them knew whether this move could fool the second-generation successor, but if they couldn’t trick him, they probably wouldn’t be able to escape.

  Several dozen feet were swiftly covered, and Wang Chong’s group reached the end of the corridor, their hearts at their throats.

  An immense and spacious ancient palace appeared before them.

  A vast forest of giant stone pillars filled their vision.

  As one looked upward, they would see a pure moonlight coming from the azure roof of the underground palace. A massive luminous pearl had been embedded in the ceiling.

  On the ground, images of swallows bearing the Mandate of Heaven and Kui dragons had been carved on the ground.

  (TN: Apparently, the founding ancestor of the Shang Dynasty was born after a woman swallowed an egg dropped by a swallow that was sent down from Heaven. The Kui was a mythological beast that seemed to have the power to control water and rain. It had the appearance of an ox but had only one leg.)

  Wang Chong suddenly realized what this was.

  “It’s the style of the Western Han Dynasty! The second disciple of the Origin Immortal Lord was someone of the Western Han.”

  At this moment, they could hear a cracking sound that echoed through the palace.

  Everyone turned toward the source of this noise.

  On the other side of this palace, atop a set of imperial stairs, was an ancient throne made of white jade. A ball of
twisted golden light floated above the throne, shining like the sun.

  A figure wearing golden armor and exuding martial might was slowly emerging from the golden light.

  As they all stared at the golden light, the figure in the golden light seemed to turn their neck to stare back. The cracking sound was made by his turning neck.

  !!!

  An indescribably bizarre feeling welled up in their minds. No one had imagined that they would meet the second-generation successor in such a fashion.

  All was quiet in the palace, the group even holding their breaths. They had long ago sealed off all their pores so that not one bit of energy leaked out.

  The second-generation successor was still floating in the air, his true appearance obscured, but they all felt like they were facing a major and lethal foe.

  Just the fact that the second-generation successor was able to float in the air was proof that he far surpassed the third-generation successor in strength.

  None of them knew what would happen next, but they were sure that if the plan failed, they would all suffer a thunderous blow.

  Buzz!

  The blazing and twisted ball of golden light slowly descended. Finally, it scattered, revealing that golden-armored and dignified figure seated upon the white jade throne.

  His eyes were initially shut, but his eyelids soon trembled and opened, revealing two dazzling lights.

  How could this be!?

  They immediately sensed that this walking corpse was completely different from the other successors they had encountered.

  His eyes were not vacant and lifeless, but shone like two bright stars.

  The fragment of his mind left is much stronger than the other walking corpses!

  As this thought crossed Wang Chong’s mind, he felt an ill foreboding.

  After the battle with the third generation, Wang Chong had basically understood the secret of these walking corpses.

  They were able to maintain such powerful strength in death and continue to guard the treasury because parts of their mind had been sealed and preserved through a powerful and ancient seal when they were still alive.