The Human Emperor c1-2382
Page 1051
To the east of Big Dipper City, forty to fifty li away, a trail of dust appeared on a set of hills, and in the middle of this dust cloud, several black banners slowly emerged out of the horizon.
On the largest of these banners was a striking Xuan Bird and the word ‘Fumeng’!
As the black banner appeared, a voice that had seemingly been suppressed for a long time was unleashed like a great torrent, releasing all its pent-up rage and hatred to sweep over the Big Dipper Army.
“Hahaha, Wang Chong, surprised, aren’t you!? This lord once more sees the light of day!”
Gallop!
With a heaven-shaking rumble that unsettled space itself, stalwart figures wearing black armor appeared on horseback upon the distant hills.
Leading them was a seemingly divine figure mounted upon a horse as black as ink.
His sharp and vicious eyes, his dark skin like iron, his bristly beard—who could this be except the former Qixi Protector-General who had been brought down by Wang Chong’s machinations, Fumeng Lingcha?!
Even Wang Chong couldn’t help but be surprised at Fumeng Lingcha’s appearance. Fumeng Lingcha had been imprisoned for more than half a year now, but he seemed just as energetic as ever. His cultivation level had not only not declined, it had grown even sturdier and more condensed.
It appeared that life in prison had only honed and tempered him!
Buzz!
As that man appeared on the hill, a massive stream of Psychic Energy tore through the air and locked onto Wang Chong.
As Fumeng Lingcha glared at the young figure standing in the middle of the Big Dipper Army, his eyes erupted with flames of hatred that soared to the heavens.
He had spent nearly ten months in prison, his hair disheveled and his legs shackled. Fumeng Lingcha had spent every minute and hour of those dark days thinking about the day he would be released and avenge himself on his foe.
Those endless days and the endless hatred spurred him to continuously cultivate and improve himself. As expected, he had been released, and he now led his former subordinates to Big Dipper City to take his revenge on Wang Chong.
“Hyah!”
With a shout like a peal of thunder, Fumeng Lingcha led his ten-some loyal subordinates down the hill.
“Your Highness!”
The sight of Fumeng Lingcha coming over like a raging flood had all the Big Dipper Army officers paling. Their highest-ranking general took a few steps forward and nervously whispered to Wang Chong.
“This is a matter between our Big Dipper Army and Lord Fumeng. If Your Highness has other matters, it would be best if you leave.”
The voice was tinged with deep concern.
Everyone knew about Wang Chong’s relationship with Fumeng Lingcha, and now that Fumeng Lingcha was coming with ill intentions, supported by the court and the First Prince, things looked grim for Wang Chong.
Great General Geshu had respected Wang Chong, so these people naturally did not want to see anything happen to him here.
“There’s no need. A single Fumeng Lingcha won’t be making any waves!!”
Wang Chong waved his hand, his expression confident as he gazed at the distant Fumeng Lingcha.
There was no need for him to be afraid of a single Fumeng Lingcha.
Amidst rumbling hooves, Fumeng Lingcha approached Big Dipper City with his subordinates.
The Big Dipper Army soldiers all backed away at his approach, pushed to the sides by his majestic energy.
Wang Chong coldly watched, his eyes devoid of emotion. Fumeng Lingcha, having just been released from prison, was in high spirits, and he had the support of the First Prince. But if he thought that Wang Chong was just an ignorant person who was still about the same as he was back in the City of Steel, then he was gravely mistaken.
Rumble! The earth trembled as Fumeng Lingcha and his subordinates approached like a pack of dragons, flying through the Big Dipper Army and straight for Wang Chong. Eight hundred feet, seven hundred, six hundred, three hundred… he was getting closer and only building up speed, showing no signs of stopping.
Wang Chong could clearly see the cold smile on Fumeng Lingcha’s lips.
“Hmph!”
Wang Chong coldly snorted, understanding what was going on. Boom! When Fumeng Lingcha’s horse was still several dozen feet away, Wang Chong sent out a burst of Psychic Energy through his eyes and into the mind of Fumeng Lingcha’s horse.
Neeeigh! The horse trembled as if it had been struck by lightning and shrieked in fear. Its back arched upward with all its might, but its front legs were stiff. The immense force of inertia caused it to drag out two long furrows in the ground as it slid toward Wang Chong.
“Not good!”
Sensing the change in the horse, Fumeng Lingcha paled. He had been focused completely on Wang Chong to guard against any potential attack, but he had never expected a Psychic Energy attack.
This horse had gone through rigorous training and had accompanied him for ten-some years, so it simply shouldn’t have been susceptible to Psychic Energy. As a result, Fumeng Lingcha had never even considered this line of attack.
Neigh!
Fumeng Lingcha was on the verge of being thrown from his horse, but while startled, he did not panic. Thump! Pressing a palm against the back of the horse, Fumeng Lingcha rose into the air and somersaulted off.
Neeeigh! As everyone watched, Fumeng Lingcha’s beloved horse slid forward and landed right in front of Wang Chong.
Only now did Fumeng Lingcha realize the chaos going on behind him. The horses of his subordinates had also come under Wang Chong’s attacks, and they were being thrown from their horses. Excepting a few of his generals of high cultivation who had managed to stabilize themselves, at least half of his men were thrown from their horses in disarray, and even one of his banners snapped.
“Wang Chong!”
Fumeng Lingcha’s face turned ashen, his eyes turning dark while his right hand clenched into a fist.
“Hmph! A bunch of good-for-nothings!”
But a moment later, Fumeng Lingcha’s eyes gleamed with cold light and he regained his composure.
Wang Chong’s mind focused when he saw this. If Fumeng Lingcha had become enraged and led his subordinates in attacking Wang Chong, he wouldn’t have been one bit surprised. But he had unexpectedly managed to control his rage very quickly. It was apparent that he had matured greatly during his time in the imperial prison.
Chapter 1709 - The Pressure of Status!
Chapter 1709: The Pressure of Status!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
This fellow has become somewhat difficult to deal with! Wang Chong quietly said to himself.
“Wang Chong, we finally meet!” Fumeng Lingcha said icily as he stared at Wang Chong, his body seething with almost tangible killing intent that surged toward Wang Chong. If looks could kill, Wang Chong would have already been obliterated into dust.
“Lord Protector-General, after more than half a year, it seems like your martial arts have grown! Congratulations! It seems that the imperial prison suits Milord!” Wang Chong nonchalantly replied, cracking open his eyes. At the same time, a tsunami of energy rose from his body and blocked Fumeng Lingcha’s force.
No matter how Fumeng Lingcha tried, his energy could not get past Wang Chong’s. Even more killing intent surged into Fumeng Lingcha’s eyes as he stared at the youthful figure.
He naturally could not forget just who had been responsible for turning him from the mighty Qixi Protector-General into a prisoner with nothing.
“Foul brat, he who laughs last, laughs best! The game between us is far from over!” Fumeng Lingcha coldly said, using Wang Chong’s own phrase. He quickly turned to the Big Dipper Army generals and raised his voice.
“Who currently has the highest rank in the Big Dipper Army? Who is running things around here?”
Even though he could not overcome Wang Chong, Fumeng Lingcha was still an illustrious commander
in front of the Big Dipper Army.
The Big Dipper Army generals looked at each other in surprise at this question, but one of them quickly stepped forward.
“I am!”
“Very good! You no longer have that responsibility!”
Fumeng Lingcha coldly chuckled and looked around at the dense mass of Big Dipper Army soldiers.
“This is a decree from the Imperial Court! Starting from now, Hujiali, you will take his place. In the future, you will command the Big Dipper Army!”
“Yes, Milord!”
A stalwart man behind Fumeng Lingcha who towered above other Hu generals got down on one knee and bowed.
Whoooah!
All of the Big Dipper Army officers grimaced at Fumeng Lingcha’s words.
Great General Geshu Han’s body was still cooling and the Big Dipper Army was still in an unstable state, but on his first day, Fumeng Lingcha had decided that seizing authority was more important than soothing the troops, and decided to replace the upper echelons of the Big Dipper Army with his own men. How could such conduct not chill one’s heart?
Even Wang Chong’s face darkened upon seeing this.
“Bastards! What do you think you’re doing?!”
“General Li, we’ll only listen to you! Outsiders shouldn’t even think of ordering us around!”
“Get out of Big Dipper City, all of you! Our Big Dipper Army doesn’t need interference from outsiders!”
The soldiers seethed with fury, but Fumeng Lingcha was utterly unmoved.
“You want to rebel? Is the decision of the Imperial Court something you have any right to intervene in? Anyone who dares to disobey will be arrested!”
Fumeng Lingcha’s gaze swept across the army like a bolt of lightning, his expression turning even colder.
“In addition, an army cannot be without a commander for even a single day. Great General Geshu’s body is still in the main hall of Big Dipper City. This is improper and against the rules of propriety. Pass on my order! Tomorrow at noon, he is to immediately be buried!”
Bang!
The soldiers could no longer restrain themselves, and their roars of fury resounded through the world. Demoting the remaining officers of the Big Dipper Army was one thing, but to even compel the burial of the deceased Geshu Han was going too far. Fumeng Lingcha’s party hadn’t even gone to the spirit hall to pay their respects and had shown not even a shred of respect for Geshu Han. These soldiers would no longer stand for it.
“Who dares to be so impudent?!”
When the crowd was at its most agitated, a roar exploded like a crack of thunder, and Fumeng Lingcha immediately displayed his profound cultivation. This roar was infused with boundless Stellar Energy that immediately stirred up a gale. The surrounding Big Dipper Army soldiers were forced back, the immense pressure in the gale causing their faces to go pale.
Whether in Anxi or Qixi, Fumeng Lingcha had always been known for his ironfisted style during his tenure as a Protector-General. Despite the protest of the Big Dipper Army soldiers, Fumeng Lingcha was determined to get his way.
Clang!
At almost the same moment, the ten-some Hu generals who had followed Fumeng Lingcha from Qixi pulled out their sabers and aimed the cold edges at the Big Dipper Army generals.
To shoot down a man, it was best to shoot the horse first, and to capture the subordinates, it was best to first capture the king. Originally, they didn’t have a very good excuse to strip these officers of their authority, but now, they had an excellent pretext to take control of this powerful army.
“Strike!”
Seeing the soldiers getting angrier and angrier, that Qixi general whom Fumeng Lingcha had called Hujiali immediately seized the opportunity, his eyes turning cold as he lunged at a nearby furious Big Dipper Army general.
As one of Fumeng Lingcha’s long-time followers, he was keenly aware of the best time to strike.
The mark Geshu Han had left on this army was too deep, and ordinary methods would fail to let them take control of the Big Dipper Army. Even a kindhearted Bodhisattva could strike with thunderous might. They would first seize the high-ranking generals, and then they would forcefully suppress the leaders of the opposition. With the power of Great General Fumeng Lingcha, they were wholly capable of quashing any dissent. This was the fastest way of taking control over the Big Dipper Army!
But before Hujiali could get very far, rumble! A majestic Stellar Energy swept in front of him, engulfing him like a powerful net and flinging him backward.
Several more booms could be heard as Hujiali and the other Qixi generals were slammed into the ground like so many roof tiles, sending up great plumes of dust. The force was so great that the ground for several hundred meters around trembled.
“Wang Chong, you dare!”
Fumeng Lingcha thunderously roared, his left hand pulling out his saber and unleashing an earth-rending blow that sliced the air in two as it flew at Wang Chong.
This grandiose saber energy extended for several dozen feet. Everyone else only saw a white flash of light, by which point the blow was about to hit Wang Chong.
The destructive energy imbued within the attack made the earth groan as if it was on the verge of being sundered apart!
“Not good!”
“Your Highness!”
The Big Dipper Army generals felt their hearts freeze, their bodies tightening with tension. Fumeng Lingcha had been the oldest and most powerful of the Great Tang’s Protector-Generals, but he had run into several bottlenecks that he had never been able to get past. Yet when Fumeng Lingcha unsheathed his saber, it became evident from that sharp energy which was hard to look at directly that he had broken through these bottlenecks.
He had clearly come prepared to seize control of the army, and it was hard to say who would emerge the victor in this clash.
Just as the tension reached its maximum—
Bang!
Wang Chong planted his feet on the ground and simply thrust out his right palm. This simple palm seemed to contain unfathomable power, and easily stopped Fumeng Lingcha’s seemingly unstoppable saber blow.
Kaboom! Winds howled and dust exploded as powerful shockwaves swept over the earth, but Wang Chong stood as a firm as a seawall against the tide.
“Wang Chong, you dare!”
Fumeng Lingcha’s face was a sheet of ice as he glared at Wang Chong. His men, who had been prepared to strike, instantly turned quiet and tense.
“The Imperial Court decided who would take control over the Big Dipper Army! Wang Chong, you dare defy the court?!” Fumeng Lingcha sharply rebuked, his left hand gripping his saber, prepared to strike again.
“Hmph, Fumeng Lingcha, you can’t order me around!”
Wang Chong’s expression was aloof, and his first words immediately made Fumeng Lingcha’s face go stiff.
“Moreover, Fumeng Lingcha, just who here is responsible for the crime of an inferior offending a superior? Did the First Prince not tell you that I am the Minister of War? That rank happens to be above yours!!”
Buzz!
Fumeng Lingcha’s face nastily scowled as if he had been stabbed. What pained Fumeng Lingcha the most was that while he had been imprisoned in a dark cell, Wang Chong had been soaring upward in his career.
In the nearly ten months he had been imprisoned, not only had Wang Chong taken the post of Qixi Protector-General, he had risen to become the King of Foreign Lands and Minister of War.
There was no greater injustice than this in the world for Fumeng Lingcha, and he could never forgive Wang Chong.
“Hmph, the country has its laws, and not even the Minister of War can defy them!”
Fumeng Lingcha thrust a finger at Wang Chong and sternly ordered, “Come! The King of Foreign Lands defies the Imperial Court and obstructs military affairs! Arrest him!”
“Haha, Fumeng Lingcha, you seem to have gotten the wrong idea. Since you’re forcing me to take action, this king will fulfill your wish!”
Befor
e Fumeng Lingcha could actually attack, Wang Chong suddenly laughed and then seized the initiative.
Boom! Wang Chong shot upward in a flash of light.
An immense energy erupted from his body, far stronger than any energy Wang Chong had previously displayed.
Chapter 1710 - The Underworld Ya Elephant! Defeated!
Chapter 1710: The Underworld Ya Elephant! Defeated!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
“Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art!”
Wang Chong lunged forward, his hand opening like the talons of an eagle. At the same time, gold and red manifestations of the sun and moon emerged from his shoulders and enveloped Fumeng Lingcha.
Hwooo! A fierce gale stirred to life, and Wang Chong’s body began to exert an immense pull that shook the Stellar Energy within Fumeng Lingcha and began to pull it out of his body.
“Not good!”
Fumeng Lingcha was alarmed by this sight, never imagining that Wang Chong would be so strong. Instead of waiting around, he had attacked first, and his first blow had not been holding back in the slightest.
“Wang Chong, you dare!”
Neeeigh! Fumeng Lingcha’s stallion failed to hold, blood bursting from its body as it thudded to the ground.
Fumeng Lingcha paled. Wang Chong was trying to kill him!
Boom!
With no time to think, Fumeng Lingcha turned his saber around and unleashed a band of saber energy that swept toward Wang Chong as quickly as lightning.
A terrible howl like that of countless savage beasts erupted from behind Fumeng Lingcha. Light and shadow converged and space twisted, and in the blink of an eye, a massive desert appeared.
In the middle of this vast desert were countless savage monsters. These monsters were gray all over and covered in scales, and they moved with incredible agility. And above these monsters was a gigantic monster with wings, the body of a dragon, and the tail of a beast.
The Underworld Ya Elephant!
Fumeng Lingcha was a Hu and had spent more than half of his life guarding the Western Regions. The Western Regions had a culture completely different from the Central Plains. The Underworld Ya Elephant was an ancient beast spoken of in the legends of the Western Regions, the god of all beasts.