The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Boom!

  The windows of the carriage broke apart, and Wang Chong darted out of the carriage like a cannonball. In midair, he had already started executing the Single Character Consecutive Slash with agility and preciseness way above the duo.

  “Shit!”

  “Be careful!”

  …

  The two disciples of the unorthodox ways only saw a gleam of light, and Wang Chong was already right above their heads. Klang klang klang, Wang Chong’s sword swiftly flew around as though bolts of lightning streaking across the air, and for a moment, he was actually able to stand his ground despite facing the assault of the two simultaneously.

  His movements were profound, turning left at a moment, right at the next, forward in an instant, backward in the next. On top of that, the movements of his sword were completely unpredictable. Amidst their clash, not only was Wang Chong completely unscathed, he even managed to inflict a few wounds on the other two.

  Peng!

  After one of the strikes, Wang Chong suddenly used the momentum to push himself ten zhang back, pulling open some distance with the pair.

  (~36m)

  “You must be eager to die!”

  The two disciples dashed forward swiftly.

  “Miyasame, what are you waiting for!”

  Wang Chong suddenly bellowed.

  Sou!

  As if responding to Wang Chong’s voice, a black, lithe figure suddenly darted from the crown of a nearby tree, flying straight toward the trio.

  Chi! Without any warning, during a momentary lapse of concentration by one of the unorthodox disciples, a sword stabbed straight through his heart cleanly and swiftly.

  Klang!

  At the same moment, Wang Chong dashed forward and utilized the Single Character Consecutive Slash to tear apart the other disciple’s defense. Then, making use of the momentum from the clash, Wang Chong flipped to the other party’ back, and stabbed his sword straight into the other party’s right chest.

  “AHH!”

  Amidst a scream of agony, the second disciple of the unorthodox ways clutched onto his chest and dropped to the ground.

  Wang Chong’s swordsmanship was way too bizarre, he couldn’t guard himself against it at all.

  “Speak! Who are you? Why are you following me?”

  Wang Chong crushed the disciple of the unorthodox ways beneath his feet while pushing his sword against the other party’s neck. Just by a slight force, blood immediately streamed down the sword.

  “Pui! Do you think that I’ll tell you?”

  The other party spat a mouthful of bloodied saliva at Wang Chong.

  “Heh, don’t worry, you’ll speak.”

  Wang Chong replied calmly. Then, he turned around and said:

  “Miyasame, he’s yours.”

  Extracting intelligence was one of the necessary skills for an assassin. Wang Chong didn’t have to wait too long for Miysame Ayaka to pry open the other party’s mouth.

  “Master, there’s some trouble. It seems like the other party has sent quite a huge group of men to locate an old man, and these two are only a small part for the group. On top of that, they seem to possess some unique mean to sense the presence of that old man.”

  Holding a bloodied sword in her hand, Miyasame Ayaka walked over.

  There were some things she didn’t point out. Given that the duo had tracked Wang Chong even though their mission was to find an old man, it was clear that Wang Chong had a complex relationship with the person they were looking for.

  “I got it. You should return for now, I’ll settle the matter here myself.”

  Wang Chong waved casually.

  Miyasame Ayaka nodded before retreating, disappearing into the trees, leaving behind Wang Chong in silent contemplation.

  “Those fellows sure work fast!”

  Lifting his gaze, Wang Chong thought.

  Wang Chong didn’t point the matter out clearly before Miyasame Ayaka, but he was certain that the ‘master’ that the unorthodox disciple was referring to was the ‘wretched disciple’ the Demonic Emperor Old Man spoke of.

  “Three hundred men, and on top of that, they can determine the Demonic Emperor Old Man’s presence through his aura. If that’s the case… the Purple Bamboo Garden isn’t safe.”

  ，：

  Wang Chong couldn’t help but feel worried about the Demonic Emperor Old Man.

  “This can’t do. I have to discuss the matter with master.”

  Wang Chong threw the disciple that Miyasame Ayaka had knocked out and tied up after the interrogation into the carriage, hopped on himself, and headed straight for the Purple Bamboo Garden.

  “… So, that’s the situation.”

  A moment later, at the Purple Bamboo Garden, Wang Chong threw the disciple on the ground and explained the entire matter.

  The presence of this unorthodox disciple was more convincing than any words Wang Chong could have said.

  “That bastard!”

  Seeing the unorthodox disciple on the ground, the Demonic Emperor Old Man trembled in anger. It was his martial arts that the disciple was cultivating, how could he possibly not recognize it?

  The cultivation technique that these men were using came from him.

  “Does he really think that I have no way to deal with him just because my spirit sea is shattered?”

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man stretched out his hand, and a black aura gushed out of the body of the unorthodox disciple and seeped into his body.

  The face of the unorthodox disciple paled, and his skin swiftly turned gray. Then, he fell motionless.

  At the same time, upon gathering this surge of Origin Energy, the aura shrouding the Demonic Emperor Old Man grew by a slight bit.

  “Master!”

  Wang Chong was astonished. He witnessed the might of the 《Great Yinyang World Creation Art》 in his previous life, but it was clear that Zhou Wen’s proficiency was lacking compared to the Demonic Emperor Old Man.

  The latter’s cultivation had already fallen to Origin Energy realm, but even so, he was still able to steal the unorthodox disciple’s Origin Energy easily from a distance.

  “Chong-er, remember this. There are four layers to the lineage of our demonic art. The first layer is the foundation, the level which you are currently at. The second layer is the 《Little Yinyang Art》, and at this level, one will require a medium to absorb the Origin Energy of another. At the third layer, one will be able to absorb Origin Energy from a distance, just like me.”

  “Even though my cultivation has deteriorated, my proficiency in the technique still remains.”

  “There’s still another level above the third layer. According to what I know, only the creator of the technique had succeeded in reaching the fourth layer, and it seems to be related to space and time. However, as I’ve never cultivated the last level, I’m not too sure either.”

  “But in any case, you’ll have to progress through the various layers one by one. If there comes a day that you reach the fourth layer, you’ll have become a God Martial expert. By then, there’ll no one who can stand against you in the world.”

  As the Demonic Emperor Old Man said so, his face slowly turned pale. The Origin Energy he had just absorbed leaked out from his body as though a pierced balloon.

  “Master!”

  Initially, Wang Chong was still listening seriously, but upon seeing this abrupt sight, his face warped, and he hurriedly rushed forward to support the Demonic Emperor Old Man.

  “Hehe, don’t worry. It’s just that my spirit sea is shattered, so I’m unable to retain Origin Energy. If I forcefully execute the Great Yinyang World Creation Art, I’ll suffer a backlash. That wretched disciple knew about this, that’s why he dares to send these small fries against me.”

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man pushed against the table with his hands to support his body.

  “Master, are you infusing Origin Energy into your acupoints?”

  Wang Chong suddenly asked.

  �
��You know of the Myriad Spirit Sea Art?”

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man looked at Wang Chong in astonishment, but he soon nodded.

  “This is an ultimate art of our lineage, and since ancient times, only the sect leader is entitled to cultivate it. On top of that, it’s extremely hard to cultivate, and there are very few people who succeeds in it. As my spirit sea is shattered, resulting in my inability to infuse Origin Energy into my dantian, I can only use my acupoints to replace the role of my spirit sea to retain Origin Energy. This is the only option I have left.”

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man didn’t bother hiding anything before Wang Chong.

  Stunned, Wang Chong couldn’t find a word to say.

  He had heard of the theory of utilizing one’s acupoints as spirit sea, and he knew that there were some incredible techniques in the world capable of this feat. However, this was an extremely abstract and profound topic, and even Wang Chong had never seen it before.

  Even the elders in his previous life had described this cultivation technique as bizarre and profound, and it wasn’t something that an ordinary person could cultivate.

  “No wonder he’s able to infuse energy into Zhou Wen eventually!”

  Wang Chong suddenly understood something.

  There’s a part that’s a little weird.

  I understand that there’s a part which writes Miyasame Ayaka addressing Wang Chong as ‘master’ in the previous chapter is weird and uncommon in the Central Plain. The term she used is , which is (using a not exactly correct example) somewhat how a slave calls his master.

  On the other hand, usual servants simply call their ‘employers’ as or (young master and old master)

  Then, when Wang Chong addresses the Demonic Emperor Old Man, he calls him , which means teacher, but in usual translations, ‘master’ is used instead.

  My university is starting soon, and I’m actually in quite an intensive course (double degree), so I’ll end up overloading myself for all semester, and so I’ll end up slowing down significantly.

  I can’t make any promises for the chapters, but I’ll try to continue them at once a day if possible.

  However, if I fail to cope, I hope that you all can understand >: I’m working on two series at once, and the other one is already operating at 11 chapters/week.

  Chapter 159: Face Off Between Su Zhengchen and Demonic Emperor Old Man!

  “Teacher, if you cultivate the Myriad Spirit Sea Art, will you be able to regain your previous cultivation?”

  Wang Chong suddenly asked.

  “How can it be that easy? Not only is the Myriad Spirit Sea Art extremely difficult to cultivate, it’s also only a method to replace one’s spirit sea. If not for one’s spirit sea being shattered, no one would bother with such a troublesome technique. From the very start, the idea of using one’s acupoints to replace one’s spirit sea is far-fetched. At the very least, of our lineage, I haven’t heard of anyone succeeding yet.”

  The Demonic Emperor smiled bitterly. Then, turning to Wang Chong, he patted his shoulders and he said:

  “Child, I understand your intentions. Even though it has only been ten days since you became my disciple, I’m heartened by your thoughts.”

  When the Demonic Emperor Old Man said these words, Wang Chong saw a glint in his eyes.

  Wang Chong wasn’t foreign to this kind of expression. It was the face of one who had decided to sacrifice himself.

  “Since the Myriad Spirit Sea Art is difficult to cultivate, and there are very few people who can succeed in it, it means that it’ll impossible for him to regain the unparalleled cultivation he possessed back then. Could it be that… he intends to do what he did with Zhou Wen to me; cultivate the Myriad Spirit Sea Art to a certain level and infuse his energy into me!”

  Wang Chong’s heart jolted.

  The price of such an infusion was great. One had to abandon his life to pass on his cultivation to another person.

  It seemed as though many things had changed because of Wang Chong’s interference, but some things still remained the same. In the end, the Demonic Emperor Old Man still chose to give up on his cultivation and life for his disciple, just that the person became him.

  This left complicated emotions within Wang Chong. Even though his primary goal was the 《Great Yinyang World Creation Art》, he could feel that the Demonic Emperor Old Man had truly regarded him as his own disciple, and he unreservedly cared for him.

  This struck a chord in Wang Chong’s heart.

  “No matter what, I must stop him!”

  Wang Chong made up his mind.

  Previously, Wang Chong’s understanding of the Demonic Emperor Old Man stopped at his unparalleled cultivation and top-notch cultivation technique. However, at this moment, the impression Wang Chong had of him was completely different from before.

  Unknowingly, in the depths of Wang Chong’s heart, he had already truly recognized the person before him as his real master.

  “Master, what are the conditions to cultivating the Myriad Spirit Sea Art?”

  Wang Chong asked.

  “Hehe, there are many conditions for it. The martial artist’s aptitude, talent, willpower, and comprehension are the most basic factors. Beyond that, one required an immense quantity of spiritual energy, luck, as well as mystic tools, pills, and such. Chong-er, if you’re interested, I can impart this technique to you.”

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man mistook Wang Chong’s intentions.

  “Spiritual energy…”

  Wang Chong mumbled silently as a storm raged in his head.

  “I can’t say anything about the rest, but spiritual energy… I do have an unlimited supply of it!”

  Wang Chong suddenly recalled the spirit vein he found not too long ago. Even though he didn’t know the exact details of the Myriad Spirit Sea Art, he had an intuition that it was closely related to the Origin Energy of the world.

  At the very least, with sufficient spiritual energy, the success rate of cultivating the ‘Myriad Spirit Sea Art’ would increase significantly.

  “Master, I don’t have that intention. Putting that aside for now, given that that person has sent his disciples to search through the city, it isn’t safe for master to remain in the capital any longer. I know of a place that master can hide at for the moment. Furthermore, that location might be useful to teacher’s cultivation of the Myriad Spirit Sea Art.”

  Wang Chong said.

  “Oh?”

  The eyebrows of the Demonic Emperor Old Man shot up.

  Chuckling, Wang Chong revealed the matter about the spirit vein. Upon learning about the matter, the Demonic Emperor Old Man was astonished. He stared at Wang Chong with a look of disbelief.

  Spirit veins were incredibly precious, and they were extremely difficult to find. One might not even be able to find a single spirit vein amidst few hundred mountains. Yet, despite Wang Chong’s young age, he was able to find one and buy down the entire mountain in advance. This, in itself, seemed inconceivable to the Demonic Emperor Old Man.

  “To think that there would be such a matter…”

  The means of this disciple of his had really left him shocked.

  There was one thing Wang Chong was right about. A spirit vein was indeed helpful to the cultivation of the Myriad Spirit Sea Art.

  “Let’s follow your arrangements then.”

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man agreed to Wang Chong’s plan.

  “Then, rest well, master. I’ll arrange to have someone send you out of the city tomorrow.”

  Wang Chong chuckled. After chatting a moment longer with the Demonic Emperor Old Man, Wang Chong left.

  Not too long after Wang Chong left on his carriage, the Demonic Emperor Old Man’s retracted his smile, and a grave expression surfaced instead.

  Walking out of the room, the Demonic Emperor Old Man lifted his head and gazed at the skies. A huge black bird was circling in the aerial space above the residence, and seemingly alarmed by the Demonic Emperor Old Man’s gaze, it im
mediately flapped its wings and darted west.

  “Hmph, beast! Since you’re already here, don’t dream about leaving!”

  The Demonic Emperor Old sneered coldly. Lifting his hand, a black surge of energy shot forth from his finger. The surge of energy wasn’t particularly strong, especially given the Demonic Emperor Old Man’s Origin Energy realm cultivation, but for some reason, it was extremely pure and dense. Despite the long distance, the surge of energy didn’t dissipate in the least, retaining its full strength.

  Pu!

  The surge of energy struck the black kite accurately, piercing through its body. Blood spurted in midair, and the black kite suddenly fell silent. Then, it began to plummet from the sky.

  Only upon seeing the black kite fall did the Demonic Emperor Old Man’s grave expression alleviate. Even though his cultivation had fallen tremendously after his disciple’s betrayal, his sensitivity to the surroundings still remained.

  Even though the thick roof was hindering his senses, he still clearly perceived the presence of this bird as though a torch in the middle of the night as soon as it arrived the aerial space above the Purple Bamboo Garden.

  “This black kite definitely isn’t sent by Chong-er, there’s totally no need for him to do so. Someone must be using him to trace me.”

  A deep crease slowly furrowed on the Demonic Emperor Old Man’s forehead. At the same time, he recalled the powerful but inconspicuous sword intent that rubbed off Wang Chong’s body.

  That sword intent had reached an incredible level, to the extent that Wang Chong wasn’t able to perceive it. However, the Demonic Emperor Old Man was able to sense it clearly.

  As soon as Wang Chong walked in, he had already noticed it.

  This sword intent didn’t bear any malicious intent toward Wang Chong, but it contained a heavy warning intent, seemingly threatening him to stay away from Wang Chong.

  “Lingering sword intent, that person’s swordsmanship cultivation has reached an unfathomable level! He’s probably at Saint Martial realm pinnacle as well, not weaker than me previously in any way. To think that such a formidable figure would be hidden in Great Tang’s capital.”

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man muttered, and a slight worry rippled in his eyes. When one’s swordsmanship cultivation reached a certain level, one’s would be able to condense the destructive force of a sword qi into a single thread easily.