The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  A long period of silence ensued.

  “Within three days, I want to know the whereabouts of that Great Tang’s King of Foreign Lands!” The dignified voice spoke once more, and then with a rumble, the horse rode past the Imperial Martial experts and into the distance.

  A vast plume of dust was left in its wake, flooding across the land.

  ……

  The northwest became more and more active. Countless experts continued to converge, all of them searching for Wang Chong.

  At this moment, no one noticed someone standing on the outermost edge of the region, watching with hands held behind their back. As they observed the martial artists hustling and bustling about the northwest, they smirked.

  Chapter 1420 - Full-Scale Manhunt!

  Chapter 1420: Full-Scale Manhunt!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “Heh, this trip to the northwest Central Plains is getting more and more interesting.”

  Eastern Turkic King Ashina Bagushidu looked down the mountain with a pensive look, the winds causing his robe to dance around him.

  “I believed that everything would end when the Origin Immortal Formation was broken, but it now seems like there’s still quite a long way to go.

  “Nalu, what useful information have you gathered from those Great Tang martial artists?” Bagushidu asked without turning his head.

  “Milord, all the Central Plains martial artists, and also those tribal martial artists from the Western Regions, are searching for the Great Tang’s King of Foreign Lands. However, they have still not found his location. Although it’s a little strange, when you consider that they have a person skilled in formations with them and that the King of Foreign Lands was the one who broke the formation, they’ve probably used some sort of formation to hide themselves,” that person called Nalu reported in a clear and crisp voice. Surprisingly, it was a young Turkic woman, her face concealed behind a black veil that hid her true looks.

  “Heh, since this kind of news is going around, he won’t be leaving so easily. Once the time is right, he will probably appear. Rather… what of the information on the Origin Immortal Art that I had you spread several days ago?” Bagushidu asked.

  “Your Highness, there is probably no one in the martial arts world that doesn’t know of the matter. It’s not just the Four Ends Martial Lord. Even that existence who stands on the same level as Song Yuanyi, the Lone Silence Ancestor, is coming to the northwest.”

  “Oh? That’s even better.”

  Bagushidu couldn’t help but chuckle.

  “I heard that when the Lone Silence Ancestor was young, he got into a series of quarrels with Song Yuanyi, and the two now can’t stand the sight of each other. Nothing could be better than drawing this person over.”

  An Eastern Turkic subordinate in the back bowed and said, “Absolutely! We might even be able to use the bait of the Origin Immortal Art to remove a major foe of our Eastern Turkic Khaganate while also weakening the strength of the martial arts world of the Central Plains.”

  Although Song Yuanyi was known as the leader of the righteous path, in reality, the martial arts world was also strictly divided into regions, with Song Yuanyi only being a leader of one of these. It was just that this was the largest of the regions.

  The Lone Silence Ancestor governed another region, and this region was part of the Great Tang’s northeast, adjacent to the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. From a certain perspective, he was a major enemy of the Eastern Turks.

  Just the fact that they could get the martial artists of the Great Tang to fight among themselves had made the expedition worth it.

  “Right, Milord, the Khagan has sent word that we’ve reached an accord with the Great Tang’s Confucian Sect,” one of the guards suddenly said. “There are basically no more obstacles left in the Great Tang’s Imperial Court. Only the Great Tang’s King of Foreign Lands is left. As long as he still remains, many variables will continue to exist.

  “The Khagan knows that Your Highness is not willing to intervene in government affairs, but this matter is of utmost importance. He hopes that Your Highness will think about the good of the Khaganate and do everything in your power to eliminate that King of Foreign Lands.”

  “Heh, tell the Khagan that I already know.”

  Bagushidu smiled, utterly unmoved.

  If he wanted to do something like this, it was only because he wanted to, not because of anyone else. Not even the Khagan could order him around.

  The guard saw Bagushidu’s expression, clenched his teeth, and added, “The Khagan has also said that if this task is done, Your Highness will be made State Teacher, and the status of the Everlasting Sect in the Eastern Turkic Khaganate will be restored.”

  The guard lowered his head.

  Upon hearing this, Bagushidu’s face shifted, no longer as composed as it was before.

  “Did the Khagan say this himself?” Bagushidu grimly said.

  “Yes!”

  The guard bowed.

  The surroundings instantly became deathly still, the other subordinates falling silent.

  After a long while, Bagushidu finally spoke. “Go back and tell the Khagan that I agree to his terms.”

  ……

  As time passed and the sun rose and fell, various factions heard the news and began to hunt down Wang Chong.

  At this time, Wang Chong was gathered together with the Demonic Emperor Old Man, Formation Elder, and the Wushang Village Chief.

  “What is going on here?”

  “The first two pieces of news really were spread by us, but what’s this about the third piece?”

  The four in the stone formation glanced at each other.

  Although Wang Chong’s group had intentionally leaked the information on the Energy Condensation Pearl and the six pieces of the map, the message regarding becoming the number one person in the world had nothing to do with them. In truth, the first two pieces of news combined were not as shocking as the final one.

  “When the sandpiper and clam fight, it’s the fisherman who profits. It seems like we aren’t the only ones fishing these waters. Someone else must have spread this information,” the Wushang Village Chief said.

  “No matter what, we have to obtain the Origin Immortal Art.”

  He shot a glance at Wang Chong as he spoke.

  Wang Chong’s Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art was a hidden bomb that could blow up at any moment.

  There were no early warnings with this kind of thing. Wang Chong had reached such a level of profundity in the Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art that not even the Demonic Emperor Old Man could determine whether he would survive.

  “But we still have to be careful of these hidden factions, those people operating the Origin Immortal Formation and the men in black who appeared at the end. They are both hiding in the shadows, and if we’re not careful, they might get the drop on us.

  “Chong-er, do you still remember what that batch of men in black who appeared at the end looked like? You’re sure that they’re not with the group that was pursuing us?”

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man turned to Wang Chong.

  As the Origin Immortal Formation was crumbling, a group of men in black had forced open the formation and made a charge at the core. Wang Chong had been the only one to see their faces.

  “Master, although I don’t know what’s going on, your disciple is sure that they are not together with that other group.”

  He gave a detailed recount of what had happened that day to his seniors.

  “When I was on the platform, I thought that they were coming at me, but I quickly realized that something was wrong. Although they were dressed like our pursuers and had the same kind of aura, they didn’t seem to recognize me. On the contrary, they mistook me for one of those people hiding in the core,” Wang Chong sternly said.

  “Now that your disciple has thought about it, it seems like there is a different group in the northwest region besides the one
chasing us that seems to have come for the Origin Immortal Formation. These two groups are different in various ways and don’t seem to interact with each other very much.”

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man said nothing, only slightly frowned as he began to think.

  Wang Chong had actually already told them about these two groups. This was no laughing matter. If the men in black actually had two groups hiding in the northwest region, he would have to consider what sort of power might be influencing all this from the rear.

  Moreover, if those two groups were constantly watching from the shadows while they tried to open up the treasury, they would never be able to rest easy.

  “Zhang Wenfu, stop thinking about these things. We have to resolve the kid’s ailment. As for those men in black, you’re the Demonic Emperor! Are you actually afraid of them?”

  The Formation Elder was more easy-going.

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man lowered his head and said to himself, I can only hope that’s the case.

  “Kill!”

  At this moment, the sounds of fighting came from the distance, drawing their attention.

  “Martial brothers, get out of here! You dregs, no matter what, I’ll never give the treasure map to you!”

  As a furious roar rang out, a group appeared on the horizon, staggering and lurching as they fled in the direction of Wang Chong’s group.

  The way they ran clearly indicated that they were injured.

  “Treasure map?”

  The short Formation Elder was the first to react, shooting up to his feet with a bright light in his eyes.

  “Hahaha, Eight Heroes of the Northern Pass, you can’t escape! Just obediently hand over the treasure map! The world’s number one? Ha! I advise you to stop dreaming!”

  “That’s right! Hand over the treasure map and we can spare your lives! Otherwise, all of the Eight Heroes of the Northern Pass will be buried here today!”

  Cold laughter could be heard as another group pursued with savage looks on their faces.

  “Ah!”

  There was a scream as one of the fleeing martial artists was struck by a saber and brought to the ground.

  “Huo Guo, you bastard! I won’t forgive you for this! One day, I’ll kill you all to make you pay for this!” the man at the very front said, his eyes crimson and bulging in anger.

  The fleeing group was getting closer and closer to where Wang Chong’s group was. A few moments later, they were only fifty to sixty meters away from the stone formation.

  Thud! As they were fighting, one of the fleeing martial artists was sent flying and hit the ground. His hands loosened, causing a flashing golden object to fly out of his hands and land near the stone formation.

  “Treasure map! It’s really a treasure map!”

  The sight of that treasure map flying out finally broke the Formation Elder’s will, and he prepared to charge out and seize it.

  “Hey! Zhang Wenfu, kid, what are you still waiting for? Don’t you want to open up the Origin Immortal treasury and obtain the Origin Immortal Art? The opportunity has been dropped at our feet!”

  The Formation Elder had always been an impatient one, and there was no way he could restrain himself.

  “Wait!”

  Before the Formation Elder could rush out, a slender and forceful hand gripped his shoulder and brought him to a halt.

  Chapter 1421 - The Five Poisons Elder!

  Chapter 1421: The Five Poisons Elder!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “When something abnormal happens, an evildoer is afoot. Just when we had found a quiet and remote area to talk about the treasure map, a treasure map immediately delivers itself to our door. Whether it’s real or fake, I sense that this matter isn’t as simple as it seems.”

  As Wang Chong spoke, he glanced at the groups outside.

  “Brother Zhou, I wanted to say this as well. Whether it’s real or fake, let’s just wait and see for now!” the Demonic Emperor Old Man said in his old and dignified voice.

  “Zhang Wenfu, you…”

  The Formation Elder turned to the master and disciple in shock.

  “Brother Fang, do you think so as well?”

  The Formation Elder turned to the silent Wushang Village Chief.

  The Wushang Village Chief silently nodded. The Formation Elder’s mind was sent reeling and he was unable to speak.

  Outside the stone formation, the two groups had reached the peak of their battle. Three or four of the fleeing group had been felled while the remainder were surrounded and on the verge of being executed.

  But a moment later, as the last two were surrounded and about to be cut down, time seemed to stop. Both groups simultaneously stopped moving.

  “Old Six, did you notice anything?” a voice asked after a long while. This was none other than one of the men being pursued.

  “No. We even threw the map on the ground, but no one came to take it. It seems that they aren’t here, so we can rule out this region.”

  The other speaker was unexpectedly that savage-faced Huo Guo.

  At this moment, their tones did not seem to be those of the pursued and pursuer.

  “That’s that, then. We can cross this area off the list and inspect another one.”

  The two groups were soon putting away their weapons and acting like friends. At the same time, those members of the ‘Eight Heroes of the Northern Pass’ who had been cut down suddenly let out long breaths and returned from the land of the dead to the living, each of them standing back up.

  They had been holding their breaths this entire time, but they naturally didn’t need to now that the play was over.

  “This, this…”

  Within the stone formation, the Formation Elder’s eyes were bulging out and he had long ago been rendered speechless.

  “These bastards… This is far too shameless!”

  The Formation Elder gnashed his teeth, his face turning red.

  What he had believed was a great boon had actually just been an act played out by these two groups to make them take the bait. And in their group of four, he was the only one who had taken the bait, utterly humiliating him in front of the other three.

  “Bastards, bastards! These scoundrels are too despicable, too shameless!”

  While the Formation Elder clenched his fists in rage, those two groups outside the formation knew nothing of what was going on. After picking their weapons off the ground and tidying up their clothes, they took their leave.

  “Senior Zhou, the entire northwest is buzzing about the matter of the Origin Immortal treasury, causing everyone in the region to look for us. Right now, you can’t be careless when it comes to the treasure map. We have to be very cautious and only act when we’re absolutely sure.”

  Wang Chong smiled and spoke in a comforting tone.

  “Kid, you think that I don’t know? I was just saying it on purpose to see how you reacted!” the Formation Elder stammered out.

  Wang Chong inwardly chuckled and said no more.

  Not long after those two groups left, a sharp cry came from overhead.

  When they looked up, they saw several large eagles flying past, their sharp eyes sweeping over the area.

  The four of them only silently watched as those eagles circled around the area before flying off elsewhere.

  “The temptation of the Origin Immortal treasury is too great. With so many martial artists working together, even if we hide three feet underground, they’ll dig us out eventually.”

  The Wushang Village Chief sighed.

  The group that had painstakingly played out that drama was clearly a different one from the group sending out these eagles to survey the area. In this short amount of time, they had already encountered two groups.

  Each of them began to feel an invisible pressure. Although the northwest was large, even they could not so easily avoid the search of so many martial artists.

  The Formation Elder finally found a chance to inte
rject. “Old Man Fang, there’s no need to bring down your own side. This old man’s stone formations are so good that you wouldn’t be able to hear anything even if you stood right next to them. I don’t believe there’s anyone with enough skill to see through them.”

  The verdict was out on anything else, but he had absolute confidence in his formations.

  At the very least in this era where knowledge of formations was almost lost, there was no one who could compare to him. After all, hadn’t he deceived those first two groups?

  These formations were the source of his confidence and pride.

  Buzz!

  Wang Chong had just opened his mouth to speak when a deafening buzzing came from the distance.

  The stone formation fell silent as all four of its inhabitants turned in the direction of the sound.

  “These are… bees!”

  “It’s that scoundrel, the Five Poisons Elder!”

  The Formation Elder instantly paled, and the faces of the others turned grave.

  A dark cloud had appeared on the horizon and was rapidly making its way toward them.

  This black cloud was constantly churning and shifting as it swept over the world like a mighty tsunami.

  If one looked carefully, one would realize that this cloud was made of countless wasps and bees, a passing glance putting their number in the millions.

  There was only one person in the martial arts world who had tamed so many bees and wasps: the Five Poisons Elder.

  In terms of seniority, the Five Poisons Elder was from the same generation as Zhang Wenfu. He was so famous and powerful that even the Formation Elder, someone who rarely paid much attention to the martial arts world, knew who he was.

  “This is a problem.”

  The Formation Elder furrowed his brow, his confidence seeping away.

  The Formation Elder’s formations could fool eyes and conceal energy, but these methods were completely useless against the Five Poisons Elder. Once that cloud of bees simply rammed into the formation, all would be revealed.

  The bees moved faster than imagined, and a few moments later, boom! Tens of thousands of them crashed into the stone formation.