The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Bagushidu once more turned his head, looking toward the fog. He began to speak to himself, ignoring Wang Chong.

  “Ishinishidu had suffered a heavy injury and knew that he didn’t have long to live. But he was obsessed with martial arts, and after paying such a heavy price, even his own life, how could he be willing to accept this result? Moreover, the more he battled with the sixth-generation Origin Immortal Art successor, the more he realized just how profound this art was.

  “Thus, at the moment of his death, he gathered up all his strength and used a supreme secret art of our Earth Sect to seal all of his memories and half of his strength into the three Earthblood Cauldrons. Then, these Earthblood Cauldrons traveled through the earth and were sent back to the two servants who had followed him…”

  Bagushidu slowly recounted the history of the Earth Sect. But as he reached the end, he trailed off. Speaking about things to this extent was enough. There was no need to say anything else unnecessary.

  Bagushidu had gotten through various barriers and reached the core of the Origin Immortal Treasury first. He now stood on this stone bridge and had seen for himself the body of the greatest state teacher of the Turks in history. He had completed the mission that this supreme sect master from two hundred years ago had not. At this moment, Bagushidu seemed to require a spectator who he could ‘share’ his story with.

  And Wang Chong, the Great Tang’s King of Foreign Lands, was the best spectator.

  After all, he was going to die soon.

  Wang Chong said nothing, his heart in turmoil.

  At this moment, he finally understood why Bagushidu had appeared, and he also understood why he had a treasure map, and even why Bagushidu had been able to use the Art of Dark Heaven to avoid all the traps and get here before everyone else.

  After the events of two hundred years ago, the wheels of history had turned and finally come back to this place.

  “The matter of Ishinishidu is a secret and taboo of our Earth Sect. It has never been mentioned to outsiders, but I’ve made an exception for you. Courtesy demands reciprocity, and since you answered my question, I answered one of yours. Our debts are cleared. Follow me.”

  Chapter 1508 - The First Generation Appears!

  Chapter 1508: The First Generation Appears!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Bagushidu grabbed Wang Chong, took up position behind him, and escorted him past Ishinishidu’s corpse. This time, Bagushidu did not even glance at the body, but Wang Chong did.

  From the back, Ishinishidu’s body exuded a domineering aura. Even though two hundred years had worn his robe to shreds, the demeanor of a hegemon who desired to battle with the heavens had not changed at all.

  But from the front, Wang Chong saw a completely different view.

  Ishinishidu’s eyes were now two black sockets aimed up toward the ceiling. It was as if he had still been following the movements of the three Earthblood Cauldrons until his last moment.

  And as Wang Chong saw more, he was even more alarmed and frightened.

  Ishinishidu’s chest had been completely cut open by some sharp weapon, the ribs on both sides utterly obliterated. After suffering such a heavy injury, anyone would be doomed, even Ishinishidu. It was no wonder he had chosen to seal his energy and memories within the three cauldrons.

  But a few moments later, Bagushidu vigorously pushed Wang Chong forward.

  “Bagushidu, I’ve finished hearing the story of your Earth Sect, so why else did you capture me? If you want to kill me, you can just do it right here! It’s not like I can escape from you!”

  Wang Chong was forced to walk with Bagushidu, but the strange feeling in his heart remained.

  Based on what Bagushidu had said, the entire Eastern Turkic Khaganate, including Ozmish, regarded him as a thorn in their side. If Bagushidu wanted to kill him, he could simply do so and not waste so much time chattering.

  “Heheh, you’ll soon find out what I want you to do.”

  Bagushidu grinned, putting on an unfathomable expression, and then he continued to push Wang Chong toward the end of the stone bridge.

  The core of the treasury remained quiet. With the second-generation successor standing guard, the other martial artists were temporarily unable to make their way inside.

  Wang Chong now walked alongside Bagushidu, the tapping of their footsteps echoing throughout the abyss.

  Clink! From the distance came the shaking of chains. It was such a strange sound that Wang Chong immediately noticed it.

  “We’re here!” Bagushidu said.

  The mist here was so thick that it was no longer possible for Wang Chong to see his master or the Wushang Village Chief, and even Bagushidu’s face was fading in and out of the fog, appearing even more enigmatic.

  A cold wind blew, causing Bagushidu’s black robe to snap and flutter. Bagushidu looked ahead, his gaze dark.

  “King of Foreign Lands, I’m afraid that this is where our destinies part!”

  Bagushidu had a rather strange expression on his face.

  “So, this is where you’re choosing to do the deed?”

  Wang Chong coldly laughed, no fear in his eyes. He quickly scanned his surroundings. The stone bridge had come to an abrupt end here, dropping off into empty space, and at its terminus, Wang Chong saw two thin chains the size of a child’s arm extending in parallel into the fog.

  These chains were the source of the clinking sound from earlier.

  It was impossible to say where these chains went, as the fog had shrouded everything in a veil of secrecy.

  Wang Chong stood in the cold wind at the end of the stone bridge. Even now, he did not understand why Bagushidu did not kill him. What did he want in bringing him here? What did he hope to obtain from him?

  “See that?”

  At Wang Chong’s moment of greatest confusion, Bagushidu spoke, his finger pointed forward.

  “Back then, the patriarch of our Earth Sect, Ishinishidu, was almost about to obtain everything. Alas, at the very end, he encountered that sword. That sword possesses an incomparably immense might. Even though Ishinishidu had already broken into the Dark Radiant Heaven, he was still no match for it. This powerful divine sword heavily injured him and caused him to lose his life here.

  “Rather than saying that Ishinishidu lost to a successor of the Origin Immortal Lord, it would be better to say that he lost to this divine sword.”

  Wang Chong strained his vision, but he could still see nothing in that thick fog which obscured the jangling chains.

  A moment later, Wang Chong tried to spread out his Psychic Energy, but almost instantly, an immense Psychic Seal surged forward. This Psychic Seal was several dozen times stronger than the one Wang Chong had encountered in the caves, and Wang Chong’s Psychic Energy was swiftly dashed to pieces.

  “Mm?”

  Wang Chong frowned in confusion. The Psychic Seal in the air had the same effect as the Psychic Seal in the caves, but its construction and form were completely different. This energy was distributed seemingly randomly in the air like many fish scales.

  Not only that, even though this Psychic Seal was extremely powerful, Wang Chong had not sensed it upon first entering the core. This meant that the Psychic Seal was restricted to a rather small range.

  Whoosh!

  Stellar Energy erupted from next to Wang Chong, lashing out at the thick fog like a furious bolt of lightning. Boom! Whoosh! Bagushidu had waved his sleeve, stirring up a great gale that blew away the fog.

  Wang Chong was now able to see an imposing figure looming in the fog.

  That person’s feet were spread apart, and when Wang Chong looked over, that person also seemed to be staring across the chains at Wang Chong and Bagushidu.

  Wang Chong was caught completely by surprise and was given a fright. However, he quickly realized something…

  “The first generation!” Wang Chong blurted out.

  Now that Bagushidu had scattered the fog,
Wang Chong could see the golden Origin insignia on the man’s clothes. Moreover, even though the man was standing there, Wang Chong could sense no vitality from him. He gave off the same feeling to Wang Chong as the other generations of walking corpses.

  These walking corpses were not mere bodies. They had unique seals planted within them, an energy that was unmistakable.

  Wang Chong had encountered the sixth, fifth, third, and second generations, but he had not seen the first-generation disciple of the Origin Immortal Lord where he had expected him to be.

  Wang Chong had almost believed that the first-generation disciple of the Origin Immortal Lord wasn’t here, but in the end, the man had still appeared.

  The Origin Immortal Lord’s second-generation disciple was already at the Subtle realm, and together with the number one Origin Immortal Art, his fighting capabilities were unsurpassed.

  The second-generation successor was so strong that Wang Chong’s group didn’t dare to fight with him, even after capturing the third-generation, and the first-generation was only stronger! One could easily imagine just how terrifying a being this was.

  “As expected, the King of Foreign Lands is very intelligent. That man truly is the first-generation disciple of the Origin Immortal Lord. As the first-generation disciple, he does not guard the underground palace, but this place. But what I need you to do is not to defeat the first generation… You see that sword in front of him? I want you to take out that sword for me!”

  Bagushidu’s familiar voice rang out in a timely manner.

  Wang Chong looked over and, sure enough, there really was a sword, around four feet long, nearly half its length buried into the ground in front of the man. But at this time, Wang Chong finally saw what was at the end of the chains.

  “An altar?!”

  Wang Chong’s body trembled in shock.

  A massive altar was floating in the air, built from stone. The looming figure of the first-generation successor and the sword Bagushidu spoke of both stood in front of this massive altar.

  Wang Chong estimated that this altar weighed ten-some tons, and it was covered in all sorts of strange inscriptions that exuded an ancient aura.

  If he hadn’t seen it for himself, Wang Chong would have found it very hard to believe that such a heavy object could float motionlessly in the air like this, completely unaffected by the strong gusts of wind around it.

  Buzz!

  The fog surged back in like a curtain slowly drawing closed, once more concealing the massive altar, the first-generation successor, and the four-foot sword.

  All fell silent. Neither Wang Chong nor Bagushidu spoke.

  “Honored State Teacher possesses peerless martial arts. With your Art of Dark Heaven, you should be able to easily take that sword.” Wang Chong suddenly broke the silence with a jeer.

  “Heh, if this matter were that simple, this king would have had no need to trouble the King of Foreign Lands.”

  Bagushidu grinned, brushing off Wang Chong’s jeer. His temperament and bearing had long ago become just as steely and determined as his martial arts. There was no way a few mocking words from Wang Chong could shake him.

  And Wang Chong’s life was in his hands. No matter how much Wang Chong tried to provoke him, Bagushidu wouldn’t care.

  Bang!

  Ignoring Wang Chong, Bagushidu suddenly extended his foot and stepped forward, sending Stellar Energy through one of the chains. Clingclang! The chain fiercely shook under Bagushidu’s foot, and at the same moment, there was a booming metal clatter.

  This sound came without warning, and it was not just one or two sounds, but a great chorus of tens of thousands of sounds that resounded throughout the area.

  Chapter 1509 - The Origin Immortal Sword Formation!

  Chapter 1509: The Origin Immortal Sword Formation!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Wang Chong’s heart thumped in warning, and he felt like tens of thousands of sharp and vicious streams of energy had locked onto him. One second later, and he would be torn to shreds by these dreadful energies.

  Wang Chong blinked as he blurted out, “What is this?”

  “A sword mound! Or perhaps you could call it the Origin Immortal Sword Formation,” Bagushidu said.

  “You should have run into the second generation on your way here. The second-generation successor was a master of the sword, but you might not know that the second-generation actually learned his sword arts from the first-generation. This sword art uses innumerable kinds of swords as its vehicle, and when it activates, it strikes with the unbounded fury of a storm. The first-generation successor, with his supreme intelligence and understanding, fused together the Origin Immortal lineage with his own understandings to create this supreme art. This is also the greatest sword technique in the entirety of the Origin Immortal Art.”

  As Bagushidu spoke, he extended his left hand and lightly waved. The fog in the region was instantly swept away by an invisible hand, revealing countless swords in various states of disrepair. They began from several dozen feet from the end of the bridge and stretched on into the depths of the fog.

  Even with Wang Chong’s abilities, he found it impossible to estimate just how many of these damaged swords there were. These swords swam through the air like sharks, a frightening sight that made one’s hair stand on end and feel the fear felt by the insignificantly tiny.

  “The first-generation successor is not like the others. My Art of Dark Heaven has no effect on him. As soon as I enter this region, I’ll immediately be attacked.”

  “Hmph, if you don’t go into the tiger’s cave, how can you get the tiger cub? You think that you can get the Origin Immortal Art by doing nothing? Does the future state teacher of all Turks not even have the courage the face the first generation?”

  Wang Chong coldly snorted in derision. The two of them were enemies and Wang Chong knew that Bagushidu wouldn’t let him go, so there was no need to be courteous.

  “Heheh, if you understood what sort of person the first-generation successor was, you wouldn’t say that.”

  Bagushidu was unperturbed and spoke with composure toward Wang Chong.

  “The Origin Immortal Lord had six generations of disciples, but only the first-generation disciple was personally taught by him, and he was the only generation that actually met with the Origin Immortal Lord. This underground palace and these barriers were all laid out by him according to the decree of the Origin Immortal Lord. The first-generation was sincerely devoted to the Origin Immortal Lord. He was both his disciple and his most loyal follower.

  “One could say that without the first generation, there would be no Origin Immortal Treasury. If one wants to obtain the Origin Immortal Art, one must defeat this strongest generation.”

  Bagushidu paused for a moment.

  “But compared to the first disciple, I’m more worried about the sword in front of him.”

  “The sword?”

  Wang Chong’s eyes flashed in surprise.

  He had always thought the sword and the first-generation successor were together, or to be more precise, the successor controlled the sword. But Bagushidu was clearly talking about something else.

  “…That sword is very special. Anyone who steps onto these chains to try and approach the sword will immediately feel incredibly uncomfortable, like there’s a dagger pressed against one’s spine. This sensation only gets stronger and stronger.

  “Back then, State Teacher Ishinishidu was able to remove all the obstacles in his path, and he strode through the caves like they were his own garden. But after taking ten-some steps toward this divine sword, he turned ghastly pale and cold sweat drenched his back. And like he was fighting a battle, he was also consuming energy. If not for this, Honored State Teacher would not have died here.

  “I originally thought that after two hundred years, the divine sword would have been significantly weakened. But when I took my first step, I immediately realized that the divine
sword was even stronger than Ishinishidu had remembered.

  “I had only taken seven steps…”

  Bagushidu stopped halfway, realizing what he was doing, smiled, and changed the subject.

  “In short, while it’s possible to block the successor’s attack, the situation is completely different with that divine sword. One man and one sword have together formed the final barrier of the Origin Immortal Treasury. If you can cross this final barrier, you can obtain the Origin Immortal Art and the Origin Immortal Elixir!”

  “Origin Immortal Elixir?”

  Wang Chong’s eyes widened as Bagushidu divulged this new piece of information to him. The existence of the first generation and that divine sword had already taken him by surprise, and now there was this elixir that he had never heard anything about. For some reason, Bagushidu, a Hu, seemed to know much more than anyone else did.

  “Haha, there’s no harm in telling you.”

  Bagushidu smiled, apparently sure that Wang Chong was doomed and could not escape. Thus, he was completely forthright and open with Wang Chong’s last questions.

  “Seven generations of sect masters have passed since the Earthblood Cauldrons returned to the Solar Holy Mountain two hundred years ago, and Ishinishidu’s memories were passed down through the generations of the Earth Sect Masters. Each sect master did everything in their power to gather the secrets of the Origin Immortal Lord in the hopes of finding the place that held the body of the greatest grandmaster in the history of the Turkic people.

  “Our Earth Sect worked with unprecedented effort to gather up information on the Origin Immortal Lord. All the rumors in the martial arts world, the ancient texts and histories, even the unofficial histories and legends, were collected, whether or not they had to do with martial arts.

  “Hard work does not let one down, and after expending the strength of seven generations of sect masters, we finally found records of the Origin Immortal Lord and his first disciple. To our surprise, the Origin Immortal Lord had refined a top-class medicine known as the Origin Immortal Elixir.