The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  “You lost!” Li Junxian coldly said. Clang! He clenched his fingers, and a moment later, a righteous Sword Qi shot forth with the roar of a dragon and shot toward Wang Chong.

  Although Wang Chong had already lost the ability to resist, the militarist-Confucian conflict was a matter of no small importance. The aspirations of the Confucian Sect could not accept any mistakes, and he would not allow himself to commit any mistakes until he had truly won.

  “Ah!”

  Cries of alarm came from all sides, and the crowds near and far watched with rapt attention and solemn expressions.

  The King of Foreign Lands had actually lost! None of them had expected this!

  But just when everyone believed that they were about to see Wang Chong lose…

  Boom!

  The world swayed, and time began to flow at normal speed. Wang Chong’s strength was entirely suppressed by the Crown of Confucius, but at this moment, his body began to blaze with energy like a wildfire, an entirely new energy bursting from within.

  “Impossible!”

  Upon sensing this transformation, Li Junxian couldn’t help but shudder in disbelief.

  Wang Chong’s strength had been suppressed all the way to the True Martial realm, but now, it was rapidly swelling, rising to the Imperial Martial realm, to the Saint Martial realm, and all the way back to the Subtle realm.

  And this was not all. Li Junxian’s attacks had shaved away at Wang Chong’s strength, but now, not only was he regaining his former cultivation level, his Stellar Energy was also being restored, and this Stellar Energy was even purer and more powerful than before. It was like the righteous Confucian energy that had flowed into his body had become his.

  “How could this sort of thing happen?!”

  Li Junxian felt an unprecedented shock. Nothing he was seeing made any sense!

  The Crown of Confucius was the crown worn by the Supreme Sage, the ultimate restraint for those militarists who delighted in slaughter. It would leave permanent damage on them that could not be reversed. No one who had been suppressed by the Crown of Confucius had ever been able to recover their strength, much less get any stronger.

  No such records existed in the history of the Confucian Sect!

  But there was still much more for Li Junxian to be shocked about.

  Boom!

  When Li Junxian’s righteous Sword Qi was still several dozen feet from Wang Chong’s head, it suddenly shattered like glass. At this time, a golden light emerged from the top of Wang Chong’s head.

  The air resounded with the chanting of sages, and ancient words began to manifest. Above Wang Chong’s head, Confucian energy gathered into the form of a sage.

  This Confucian sage’s features were blurred, making it impossible to tell which one they were, but the energy from his body was majestic and dignified, signifying him as one of the ancient Sage Masters of the Confucian school!

  “Ah!”

  The crowd cried out in alarm, their eyes opening wide in disbelief.

  “A Sage Master manifestation! How come one of the Sage Masters appeared above him?”

  “Impossible! While the Wang Clan is a clan of ministers and generals, it does not belong to the traditional line of the Confucian path, and the King of Foreign Lands is also a pure militarist. How could he have obtained the acknowledgment of a Sage Master?”

  “There must be a mistake! He’s a militarist, a killer! His hands are drenched in blood! How could the Sage Masters acknowledge him!?”

  The eminent Confucians in the crowd, as well as Elder Song, Sword Ghost, and the other members of the Confucian Sect, were dumbstruck. There was no explaining what was happening with Wang Chong, not a single past example in their records.

  Crack!

  At this time, Li Junxian’s headband cracked, and his hair broke free. The Crown of Confucius soared into the air, and the crowd watched in awe as it flew toward Wang Chong’s head, resonating with that indistinct Confucian sage above him.

  Chapter 1816 - A Heart of Absolute Sincerity!

  Chapter 1816: A Heart of Absolute Sincerity!

  Buzz!The Crown of Confucius landed on Wang Chong’s head and immediately began to fuse its energy with his.Boom!With a massive howl, a torrent of righteous energy erupted from Wang Chong’s head, and that blurry Confucian sage above him slowly became more distinct.The Sage Master’s face rapidly began to age, and a long beard began to droop down from his chin. As his eyes opened and closed, they shone with golden light that was brimming with pity and compassion for all the people of the world.And after this Confucian sage took form, the images of the kneeling Sage Masters of the Spring and Autumn manifested around him.Each of the Sage Masters was a grand scholar and virtuous sage, their influence far surpassing that of any secular authority. In the Spring and Autumn Era, whether it was a noble or a bureaucrat, a Great General or a famous official, all of them lowered their heads and bowed to the Sage Masters. But though they received the obeisance of secular authorities, the Sage Masters did not bow to anyone else.Since ancient times, there was only one man that the Sage Masters would bow to!The Supreme Sage, Confucius!“Impossible!”A furious roar resounded over the training ground. Li Junxian’s hair was disheveled and his eyes were red as he staggered backward in disbelief.At this point, not even Wang Chong ascending and becoming a god would shock him as much.Sage Confucius had manifested above Wang Chong! The paramount sage of the entire Confucian path!Li Junxian had never imagined that Wang Chong would be able to obtain the recognition of Sage Confucius. How could such a thing even be possible?Wang Chong was a militarist general, a man who had slain a million people! He didn’t even count as a member of the Confucian path!Could even a butcher like this obtain the approval of the Sage Masters, and of Sage Confucius himself?!Li Junxian felt a shock like never before.“Impossible!“Impossible!“This can’t be!”Li Junxian’s eyes were wide open and his heart in turmoil as he repeatedly roared.Numerous leaders in the history of the Confucian Sect had given up their lives in order to obtain the Crown of Confucius, and Li Junxian himself had had to endure various difficult trials, pushing through the nigh impossible Punishment of the Seven Admonitions to obtain the approval of the Sage Masters.Wang Chong had not gone through these trials, but he had still obtained the approval of Sage Confucius. This had never happened in the history of the Confucian Sect. Not even Master Dong of the Western Han had accomplished this feat.How was such a thing possible?!Bang!At the same time, the crowd also exploded in shock upon seeing the Crown of Confucius fly on its own to Wang Chong’s head and the figure of Sage Confucius manifest.“Wa-Wang Chong actually obtained the approval of the Confucian Sect’s holy relic? That’s absurd!”Li Heng shot up from his seat, his face agitated and stricken with disbelief.“Confucius! It’s actually Confucius! Wang Chong obtained the approval of Confucius!”More and more of the crowd stood up and stared at Wang Chong’s head in shock. In all their lives, they had never seen something like this.But no one was more shocked than Elder Song, Sword Ghost, the white-robed girl, and the other members of the Confucian Sect. They stared with open mouths at Wang Chong, not even able to speak.At this moment, deep within the Imperial Palace and far away from the training ground, two figures were standing atop a staircase of white jade, peering into the distance.“How absurd!” blurted out Eunuch Gao, dressed in his silk robe and holding his horsetail whisk. “The King of Foreign Lands shouldn’t be a member of the Confucian path. On the contrary, he’s a militarist commander in the most intense conflict with the Confucian Sect. I didn’t think that he could obtain the recognition of the Confucian Sect’s supreme treasure, of Sage Confucius! Not even in ancient times has such a thing happened!”“There’s nothing that is absurd. Even those not of the Confucian Sect can obtain the recognition of the Crown of Confucius!”The Sage Emperor, wearing a golden dragon robe, smirked as he gazed at the distant training ground.This was the final match in the militarist-Confucian conflict. Although he was not personally there, he was observing every shift on the trainin
g ground down to the smallest detail.“Ah!” Eunuch Gao called out in alarm. This was a matter that was unheard of, and not even the Confucian Sect knew of such a thing.“Your Majesty, this slave is a fool and requests instruction.”Eunuch Gao lowered his head and bowed.“Heh.”The Sage Emperor softly chuckled. Eunuch Gao, the Sage Emperor’s servant of several decades, was probably the only person in the world who could speak in such a tone to the Sage Emperor and not earn his displeasure.Everyone knew that Eunuch Gao was not merely the Eunuch Director of the Inner Court. He was also the Sage Emperor’s shadow.“In order to obtain the recognition of the Crown of Confucius, one must either be a member of the Confucian Sect or be a person with a heart of absolute sincerity.“The former must be a leader of the Confucian Sect, and they must be able to pass the trials of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, integrity, filial piety, and fraternal piety set down by the Sage Masters of the Spring and Autumn. As the saying goes, everyone in the world will rush to one place for the sake of profit. Just how many people could be truly selfless and pass those seven trials?“As for the latter, the difficulty is even greater!” the Sage Emperor said.“A heart of absolute sincerity?”Eunuch Gao looked in shock at the Sage Emperor, but this time, there was no explanation.His sharp eyes turned to that figure on the distant training ground, and his head subtly nodded in approval.……At the same time, at the training ground…Wang Chong acted without hesitation. Upon receiving the approval of the Crown of Confucius, Wang Chong raised a hand and immediately sent a torrent of Stellar Energy out. There was a dazzling flash of light and then a scream as Li Junxian was knocked flying.Without the Crown of Confucius, Li Junxian’s strength had plunged, and he was no longer any match for Wang Chong.“Young Master!”The members of the Confucian Sect paled, their expressions turning nervous. Some of them even wanted to enter the training ground and help Li Junxian against Wang Chong.“Stop!” Elder Song suddenly called out, thrusting out his arm as he grimly rebuked them.“All of you, come back! This match was by the Sage Emperor’s decree. Young Master still has a chance, but if you go in, Young Master will be considered to have lost!”“Elder Song, you’ve already seen it! It’s impossible! That kid isn’t a member of our Confucian Sect, so he can’t have obtained the approval of the Crown of Confucius! He must have used some trick!”Sword Ghost clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth.“We’re still not sure what’s going on, but the Crown of Confucius was guarded by Master Zhu and strengthened by generations of sages. Do you think that the Crown of Confucius is something that can be faked?” Elder Song harshly said.Sword Ghost was rendered speechless. There was no questioning Master Zhu’s status. With these words, he had essentially doubted Master Zhu, but if Master Zhu couldn’t be trusted, no one in the world could.Meanwhile, the training ground had fallen completely silent after Wang Chong knocked away Li Junxian. The entire capital seemed to have fallen silent.This battle had reversed much faster than anyone had expected.“Li Junxian, that strike was for your arrogance! So what if you obtained the Crown of Confucius, thinking that it could restrain me? Just like how you believe that I slaughtered one million people and that my hands are stained in blood, your arrogance and the arrogance of your Confucian Sect have dealt the empire a grievous wound.”Wang Chong’s silver robes rustled in the wind as he slowly strode over to Li Junxian.“Impossible! Impossible! No! No! I’ll never lose to you! The Confucian Sect can’t lose!”Li Junxian got to his feet, half-kneeling on the ground with his head lowered and his entire body shaking in extreme agitation.“Wang Chong, this battle between us is not over!”Whoosh!He thrust out a hand, and several thin silver needles suddenly appeared in them.“Senior Brother!”Before anyone else could react, the girl in white cried out in alarm. She recognized those three-inch needles in Li Junxian’s hand. They had been passed down to Li Junxian by their master.In promoting their ideals in various countries, the Confucian Sect placed itself in extreme danger. These silver needles were a last resort, to be used when one faced a powerful foe to stimulate one’s potential and provide an enormous boost of strength.But this method had terrible side effects, cutting down one’s lifespan. The girl in white had never expected that her senior brother would be willing to go so far to defeat Wang Chong.Swooshswooshswoosh!The needles plunged into his critical acupuncture points, and Li Junxian’s body soon began to swell with power.Wang Chong coldly watched, showing no intent to stop him.“You’re just struggling at death’s doorstep. This time, I’ll make sure you totally accept your defeat!” Wang Chong indifferently said.Bang!Stellar Energy rumbled, and then Li Junxian unleashed a dazzling beam of Sword Qi more than one hundred feet long.

  This was an attack larger than any previous attack Li Junxian had unleashed, and it was covered in the countless words written by previous sages, the characters wriggling on its surface like tadpoles.

  Chapter 1817 - I Examine Myself and Find No Shame!

  Chapter 1817: I Examine Myself and Find No Shame!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “It’s useless!”

  Wang Chong’s voice rang out across the training ground as he clenched the hilt of the Origin Immortal Sword.

  Crack! Wang Chong vanished like a ghost. At the same time, lightning more dazzling than the sun erupted from his sword sheath.

  “Lightning Flash!”

  Wang Chong used the strongest attack of the Origin Immortal Sword, dodging Li Junxian’s attack while making one of his own.

  “This sword is for the hearts of the people of the Great Tang that you have torn asunder!”

  Boom!

  This attack was made out of anger, and its power was immense. It immediately blasted through Li Junxian’s barrier of Stellar Energy and knocked him away.

  Rumble! Li Junxian’s body was surrounded by lightning, then sent drilling into the earth and across the spacious training ground, creating a fissure more than one hundred feet in length.

  Dust churned across the training ground and debris flew everywhere. The place where Li Junxian had landed was stained with blood.

  “Senior Brother!”

  “Young Master!”

  The Confucian Sect members cried out in alarm. Even the spectating Confucian scholars felt as if their hearts had been seized.

  But Wang Chong appeared to be deaf to the cries. In a flash of light, he transformed into lightning and turned around to make another slash.

  His expression was ice-cold. With regards to Li Junxian, Wang Chong had never cared about the shame and humiliation that had been heaped on him by this man, nor did he care that much about the Confucian Sect’s army supervisors or the disbanding of soldiers. What he cared most about was that Li Junxian and the Confucian Sect had torn asunder the hearts of the people.

  While there might have been the occasional voice of opposition in the court, before Li Junxian and the Confucian Sect, the people had been mostly united, whether it was during the war of the southwest or the Battle of Talas. If this situation had continued, then no matter what sort of danger the Great Tang faced, the people would be united, allowing the Central Plains to still have some hope of survival.

  But the appearance of the Confucian Sect had destroyed it all. The heavens helped those who helped themselves, and with the calamity imminent, only by having the people united and constantly getting stronger would the Great Tang have any chance of defeating the otherworldly invaders.

  Now, war and self-strengthening were no longer options. The soldiers that were used to protect the country had become objects of hatred, and the common people had become naive seekers of peace. More than half the populace was living in delusion and crippling its own strength.

  “Heh, I examine myself and find no shame!”

  Li Junxian swayed as he stood back up, his clothes stained with blood. But his eyes remained resolved and firm as they fearlessly stared at Wang Chong.

  “Wang Chong, let me ask you: after killing so many people, do you not feel any pain or suffering? Do you not dream about those m
ountains of corpses and seas of blood in your sleep?”

  The world suddenly went silent as everyone watched. Even Li Heng was taken aback and unconsciously sat back down.

  The world had become so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

  “I don’t!”

  As tens of thousands of people watched, Wang Chong shook his head, not even the slightest hesitation on his face.

  “No matter how many people I must kill, the hands holding my sword will never tremble. As long as I can protect the Great Tang and all its people, I will never feel regret!”

  Wang Chong’s voice resounded across the heavens, and the crowd could only stare in speechlessness.

  This was the first time the people of the capital had heard Wang Chong so firmly proclaim his convictions.

  Nobody spoke, but all of them felt a solemn respect for this youth.

  Li Junxian was also taken aback, but he quickly shook his head.

  “Wang Chong, you used some trick to obtain the approval of the Crown of Confucius. No matter what you say, I will never acknowledge you!” Li Junxian firmly declared.

  “Hmph, I don’t care what you think, and it does not matter whether you acknowledge me. As long as I can defeat you, the Confucian Sect will be over and done with. It is high time for this farce of yours to be brought to an end!” Wang Chong coldly replied.

  From the moment he had stepped onto this training ground, he had not expected to win any sort of acknowledgment. Only the sword and strength could end this matter once and for all.

  Crack!

  Wang Chong’s fingers closed around the Origin Immortal Sword, and he pointed it at Li Junxian.

  “Bastard!”

  Li Junxian gnashed his teeth and clenched the Noble Sage Sword.