The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  If they had a way to kill him, would the two of them have let Wang Chong’s group go so easily?

  As the two pondered, a majestic voice boomed through the dimension. “There is no need for you to worry about this matter.”

  That voice was like the radiant sun hanging over the high heavens, the rumble of thunder penetrating through the universe, stimulating a fear that came from the deepest depths of one’s soul.

  Heaven!

  The eyes of Grand Supreme and Radiance Supreme filled with fear and respect.

  Their expressions were like those of mice that had encountered a cat. It was impossible to associate them with the mighty Supremes.

  “Great One!”

  Grand Supreme and Radiance Supreme immediately bowed to the void.

  In the Celestial God Organization, there was only one supreme will, and that was Heaven!

  Everything had been created by Heaven, and even the Supremes had received their powers from Heaven.

  Heaven could be considered the architect of civilization after civilization.

  “Heaven, our apologies! We failed this mission! The divine soldier was destroyed and the teleportation gate has collapsed!” Grand Supreme and Radiance Supreme respectfully said, their expressions rather panicked.

  “We already know of this matter. Starting from now, that Wang Chong is no longer a duty of the Supremes. We will personally deal with it.”

  Heaven’s voice was as calm and unperturbed as an ancient well, yet majestic beyond compare. The meaning of his words left Grand Supreme and Radiance Supreme stunned.

  Heaven was going to personally deal with that Child of Destruction?

  Other than that Li Taiyi, the two of them couldn’t remember the last time someone had earned Heaven’s attention and made him personally deal with the problem.

  Even more interesting was that Heaven had said he would deal with the Child of Destruction without any prompting.

  Chapter 2280 - Heaven’s Plan!

  Chapter 2280: Heaven’s Plan!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “If Great One is stepping forward, then this matter is naturally dealt with. That Child of Destruction is dead for sure,” Grand Supreme and Radiance Supreme said simultaneously, their expressions calming down.

  That Child of Destruction was incredibly strong, but everything was different if Heaven was taking action.

  Even Li Taiyi was nothing but dust now. How long could that Child of Destruction last?

  “But… ” After some hesitation, Grand Supreme said, “Great One, the Youzhou army has been defeated and the alliance army has already submitted to the Great Tang. The alliance sovereigns also took part in the invasion of the polar base. We no longer have anyone to borrow strength from, and the Purification plan no longer has an army backing it!”

  The teleportation gate had been destroyed, the Great Ice Age ended with it. This meant that the plan they had decided on beforehand had been a complete failure. A successful implementation of the Purification plan required a reduction of at least eighty percent of the human population.

  The restart of civilization did not require so many people!

  “Prepare to summon the Celestial Army!”

  Heaven’s reply was short.

  “Since we cannot use the Youzhou soldiers, then we mobilize our own!”

  Heaven spoke in an understated manner, as if he was discussing something very normal, but Grand Supreme and Radiance Supreme were thrown into disarray.

  The Celestial Army!

  This was a great taboo in the Celestial God Organization! One of its highest secrets!

  This was the Celestial God Organization’s most powerful fighting force, an army that truly belonged to them. Not even Grand Supreme had the authority to mobilize this army.

  The only one with the authority to mobilize the Celestial Army was Heaven, the ‘Celestial Emperor’.

  Because that army belonged to the Celestial Emperor!

  However, in the history of the Celestial God Organization, the number of times the Celestial Army had been used for the Purification plan could be counted with one’s fingers.

  They were only used when the Celestial God Organization’s Purification plan using mortal forces had totally failed, leaving them no other choice.

  This was the final power used by the Celestial Emperor and the Celestial God Organization. The Celestial Army was extremely precious, for each loss was a loss that could not be replaced. Thus, the Celestial Emperor did not use the Celestial Army unless it was absolutely necessary.

  “Yes!”

  Grand Supreme and Radiance Supreme instantly got ahold of themselves and bowed.

  “Very good!”

  “In addition, the cold wave origin has been destroyed. Did you bring out the Doomsday Insignia?” Heaven flatly said.

  “We did!”

  “When we saw the giant idol fail, we immediately left with the Doomsday Insignia.”

  The two replied simultaneously.

  “Mm! Since the Purification plan has failed, we must move to the next phase. It has been tens of thousands of years, and it is high time that those Doomsday Insignias scattered on the outside are taken back. If not for those rebels constantly impeding Us, how could We have been too late to save Genesis Supreme?

  “It is about time for this matter to end!”

  Heaven’s voice revealed a rare hint of anger and killing intent.

  Grand Supreme and Radiance Supreme trembled and dropped their heads even lower, not daring to speak or even breathe too loudly.

  Heaven spoke of a past incident in the Celestial God Organization that was a major taboo. All of the Supremes had silently agreed to never speak of this matter.

  “Great One, what do you need us to do?” the two respectfully asked.

  “In a few months, take a trip to Sindhu!”

  With these words said, Heaven disappeared.

  A few moments later, in another location…

  This was a world of red fire, burning lava visible wherever one looked.

  Rumble!

  Lava crashed onto the rocks like booming waves, and molten flames that could melt steel burst forth.

  But amidst the rumbling of lava, one could also hear the jangling of chains. These golden-red chains were as thick as the thighs of an adult man, and they ran through the flames and lava.

  All of these chains led to the same place: the center of this dimension!

  But the center of this dimension was engulfed in high-temperature flames, and also a golden dome.

  Besides that, if one were looking from above, one would be able to notice that the center was also ringed by numerous sealing formations.

  These formations exuded an ancient energy, and their strength surpassed that of the Xiangliu Formation beneath the capital of the Great Tang.

  Moreover, each barrier was also covered in ancient talismans.

  These talismans were made from gold and inked with cinnabar. The words on the talismans did not belong to any known language, and they radiated the power of a long-gone era.

  Both the talismans and formations seemed to be for the sake of sealing something in the center, as if some primordial beast was lurking within.

  Rumble!

  With shuddering vibration after vibration, a powerful energy erupted from the center of these formations, shaking the surrounding seals.

  This power made the likes of Genesis Supreme, Grand Supreme, and Radiance Supreme seem like little fireflies.

  “No one can seal Us! One day, We will break out!”

  With a furious roar, an energy pulse greater than all of the previous ones exploded out of the center.

  Crack!

  This terrifying energy managed to force open an extremely small crack in the formations, allowing the power to gush out.

  The energy congealed together, twisted, and transformed. In a few moments, it had taken human form.

  However, this was a figure m
ade entirely of energy, a bizarre figure that lacked any sort of facial features.

  But several seconds later, greenish-black divine armor began to form on the surface of the energy clone’s body, and a second later, tens of thousands of defensive formations and inscriptions took form on the armor.

  And on the arms, shoulders, waist, and chest of this divine armor, numerous dragon images appeared.

  But unlike the five-clawed golden dragon or nine-clawed true dragon used by Emperors, the true dragons on this suit of divine armor had ten claws!

  “This avatar should be enough. It is time for everything to end. Child of Destruction, let Us see if you are the one spoken of in that prophecy!”

  Heaven’s voice drifted through this space, constantly shifting positions.

  A moment later, that avatar that had formed outside of the numerous formations disappeared.

  The space once more fell silent.

  ……

  Time flew by, and Wang Chong quickly returned to Youzhou with the sovereigns.

  Other than a small number of high-ranking commanders, few outsiders knew of the northern expedition and the Celestial God Organization. Everything had been intentionally hidden.

  At times like this, when people were unsettled, too much bad news would only make things worse.

  With the full cooperation of the sovereigns, Wang Chong completed the consolidation of the various armies.

  In the war of the northeast, the Youzhou force plus all of the alliance’s armies were still no match for Great Tang. The alliance now had a fear of the War Saint that was rooted in their bones.

  So long as Wang Chong was present, so long as he was still the Great Tang’s King of Foreign Lands, all of the other countries, from their highest commanders to the lowest soldiers, would not dare to even think about fighting with him.

  Their awe and fear of the Great Tang and Wang Chong were firmly rooted in their minds.

  More importantly, though the cold wave had stopped, the ice and snow covering the world would take more than a day to thaw.

  Even if they returned to the steppe, they would still have no place to pasture their herds.

  If the Great Tang had not provided assistance to the other countries, all of them would have died!

  ……

  Two months went by.

  Flowers bloomed as spring returned to the earth!

  As the cold wave retreated, removing its silver blanket, the capital of the Great Tang was finally no longer so deserted and silent. It had once more begun to show the vitality and activity the capital of an empire should have.

  In all districts of the city, the snow-covered roofs began to reveal their golden or black spines, the thawing snow flowing down the eaves and dripping to the ground.

  Every family had wooden basins to collect water, and the morning sun on the horizon brought the temperature back to normal, the sunlight penetrating through the clouds and revealing the joy on the faces of the common folk.

  This was the first sunrise the Great Tang had welcomed since the cold wave.

  Under the eaves of their homes, the people took up the basins and began to splash water on each other in celebration.

  “The Youzhou army has returned to the capital!”

  “The King of Foreign Lands has returned to the capital!”

  A chorus of cheers came from the northeast, setting off shockwaves through the capital.

  “What?”

  “Come on! Let’s go and look!”

  Every resident of the capital, regardless of age or gender, put down their work and joyfully rushed to the eastern gate.

  Rumble!

  A few moments later, the thunderous pounding of hooves began to approach the capital.

  As countless people looked on, the imposing and awesome Tang army swept out from the horizon, its banners flapping in the wind.

  “King of Foreign Lands!”

  The thronging crowd at the gates erupted with cheers, far more enthusiastic than they would be at any festival.

  “The army has returned!”

  “The army has returned!”

  As cheers filled the air, fireworks rocketed upward. All the members of the crowd rushed up to the soldiers, their faces red with excitement.

  The heroes were triumphant, and they had returned.

  In the cold wave, everyone had spent day and night worrying over the outcome of the Youzhou war.

  Wang Chong and the empire’s soldiers had once more saved the Great Tang, saved the Central Plains.

  “I’m finally back.”

  As he looked upon the familiar capital, Wang Chong emotionally sighed.

  Chapter 2281 - Crowning of Kings!

  Chapter 2281: Crowning of Kings!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  The war in Youzhou hadn’t been very long, but Wang Chong felt like it had taken years.

  Regardless, An Lushan had been executed and the Youzhou army no longer existed. That An-Shi Rebellion that had set the Great Tang on the path to decline had vanished without a trace.

  So long as the Great Tang was prosperous, the people would be safe and happy, and the sort of widespread misery from his last life would not exist. For Wang Chong, this was the greatest reward.

  Amidst a sea of people, the army passed through the gate and entered the capital. The excited and admiring eyes of the crowd made all the soldiers feel that their efforts had been worthwhile.

  “His Majesty arrives!” A shrill voice rang out, instantly silencing the crowd.

  Escorted by numerous Imperial Army soldiers and Golden Guards, and leading the officials of the court, a dragon palanquin swiftly began to make its way toward Wang Chong.

  Upon the palanquin was a youthful figure in an imperial robe, his eyes calm and his demeanor hallowed as he glanced at Wang Chong.

  The Emperor of the Great Tang, Li Heng!

  Ever since they had received news that the war was over, Li Heng and the officials had been itching with excitement. When they received news that the army was returning to the capital, Li Heng had decided to personally lead the officials to the city gate to welcome them.

  Since ancient times, the Son of Heaven had always presided over the court. The farthest he would go was the gate of the Imperial Palace. Li Heng was giving Wang Chong an unprecedentedly high level of treatment.

  “The lowly subject pays respects to His Majesty!

  “In the Youzhou war, your subject fulfilled his mission, and returns today victorious to report to Your Majesty!”

  Wang Chong took several steps forward and bowed, his voice resounding over the eastern gate.

  The world grew still as the entire crowd looked to Wang Chong and Li Heng.

  At this moment, these two seemed like the center of the world.

  The sovereign was the sovereign and the subject was the subject.

  But the relationship between the two of them could not be described simply as one of sovereign and subject.

  The friendship between Wang Chong and Li Heng was known throughout the entire world.

  Wang Chong had raised Li Heng from that dejected soul in Kunwu Training Camp all the way to his current status.

  And only Li Heng was capable of still trusting Wang Chong at the zenith of his power, handing him control over the entire army and giving him the support of the entire country.

  ‘Do not suspect the people you use, and do not use suspicious people.’ In this aspect, Li Heng had surpassed the vast majority of sovereigns.

  “King of Foreign Lands, We did not misjudge you. You will forever be the Great Tang’s most meritorious subject! From now on, you no longer need to bow before Us.”

  Li Heng helped Wang Chong up as he spoke.

  The officials were all stunned by Li Heng’s words.

  In past dynasties, it was common for generals to put aside courtesy when they were on the field.

  But for a general in court to not need to bow to the sovereign was a privil
ege that only Wang Chong enjoyed.

  From this, one could see how much Li Heng trusted in Wang Chong.

  The common folk gathered around the gate did not think about as much. They simply felt that the sight of Li Heng personally helping up Wang Chong was the ideal expression of a friendship between sovereign and subject, and was certain to be noted down in the annals of history, certain to be branded in their memories for the rest of their lives.

  Amidst this grandiose welcoming ceremony, Wang Chong boarded Li Heng’s dragon palanquin and entered the Imperial Palace.

  But things in the capital were far from over. The common people continued to celebrate for three days and nights, countless fireworks lighting up the night sky.

  And the celebrations weren’t confined to the capital. All the people of the realm knew that the war in Youzhou was over, and all the other countries, including the distant Arabia, had yielded to the Great Tang.

  The world peace that the sages had preached and the storytellers had spoken about had truly been realized in this dynasty.

  Starting from now, there would be no more wars between countries. This was an unprecedented golden age!

  Starting from now, the Great Tang would only grow more and more prosperous!

  ……

  Once the audience was over, Wang Chong returned home to spend a rare moment of leisure with his family.

  Ever since he had been reborn, Wang Chong had either been fighting wars or preparing for them. After fighting one, he would have to move onto the next, like he was on a spring.

  But with this war over, everything had truly ended. There was no enemy left in all the land that could threaten the Great Tang.

  Several months flew by.

  It was time for the morning court session, and with the crack of a whip and the call of a eunuch, the officials filed into Taihe Palace.

  In this grandiose Taihe Palace, Li Heng was already seated, his back straight and his eyes bright.

  Clang!

  As the bells rang, the officials cried out in unison, “May the Emperor live ten thousand years!”

  This wasn’t the first morning court session in Taihe Palace, but there was something different about today.

  As Li Heng looked down from his throne, he saw that the sovereigns of the other countries had joined the officials in kneeling.