The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  “Given the abilities they’ve displayed, until we find a way to actually counter them, anything we do will have very little effect,” Abusi sternly said.

  Each person on the wall turned pensive.

  They were all formidable Great Generals of the human world, and any one of them was capable of holding their own on the battlefield. But that was only true in wars between humans. This did not apply to the several tens of thousands of Yeluohe before them.

  If even the ballista army was ineffective against this army, it meant that the Great Tang did not have any particular counter against the Yeluohe.

  Creee!

  Amidst this somber mood, with a sharp cry, an eagle penetrated through the snowstorm, causing all of them to look up.

  Though the clouds and snow were thick, the Psychic Energies of Wang Chong and the others were able to quickly sense several eagles circling high up in the air.

  In this extremely cold weather, there were no birds to speak of, so these circling eagles were particularly obvious.

  “How was it?” Wang Chong said, his head still looking up.

  “There are still around twenty-one thousand Yeluohe left.” Old Eagle’s familiar voice came from behind him. “The alliance camp is heavily guarded, and they are in the middle of preparing for battle. In addition, we have found evidence that large numbers of soldiers have been training on the eastern and western sides of the alliance camp.”

  His cultivation was far inferior to the likes of Wang Chong’s or Wang Zhongsi’s, so he couldn’t see the eagles. But through the tempo and length of the cries, he could understand the information the eagles conveyed.

  This was a special messaging system that Old Eagle had developed for use with his birds.

  With the arrival of the Great Ice Age, many of the birds that had normally flown through the blue skies had frozen to death. At this time, transmitting information became extremely difficult. Wang Chong was currently guarding the fortress, so he had to rely on Old Eagle’s trained birds to gather intelligence.

  Old Eagle had long ago developed a complete system for training birds, and with the aid of various great clans, he had been able to establish several dozen bird-catching teams that could catch special birds that he could use for breeding.

  Chapter 2221 - Genesis Supreme's Death Day!

  Chapter 2221: Genesis Supreme’s Death Day!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Half a year ago, Old Eagle had managed to capture an extremely unique polar bird from the far north that was extremely resistant to the cold. He had long ago learned from Wang Chong about the coming ice, so he had begun training a flock of special birds that could fly through extremely cold weather while still scouting and delivering messages.

  Now, the results of his training were on full display. By now, almost all of the Great Tang’s scouting was being done by Old Eagle’s birds.

  Wang Zhongsi, Zhang Shougui, and Abusi frowned at Old Eagle’s words, their hearts sinking. The alliance was progressing faster than they had anticipated, and this was ill news for the Great Tang.

  The Great Generals turned to Wang Chong, but when they saw the expression on his face, they froze.

  Wang Chong was totally unperturbed.

  “I see,” Wang Chong indifferently replied, leaving everyone else flabbergasted.

  While no one was certain about the empire’s situation, it was undoubtedly in bad shape. Both the Imperial Court and the northeastern front line would not be able to last for very long. Wang Chong should have understood this more than anyone else, so no one understood why he was so composed.

  “It’s not fast enough or rushed enough. This bodes ill for our future operations. As for Youzhou, the world is sealed in ice. Whether it comes to food or heat sources, they should be in a worse situation than we are.

  “Youzhou’s formation cannot completely keep out the cold,” Wang Chong said as he looked into the distance.

  Everyone turned pensive.

  This was true. While the alliance was powerful and had the Yeluohe, a force that could shatter the war’s equilibrium, it also had to feed many more mouths.

  The alliance had already been extremely lacking in food. Given their numbers, they would run out much faster than the Great Tang.

  Moreover, their surveillance had revealed that while the men in black had set up an enormous formation in Youzhou that had been able to keep out most of the cold, this didn’t mean that it was as warm as spring in Youzhou.

  The common folk of the alliance still needed heat sources, which the alliance had not made any preparations for.

  One could even say that the alliance didn’t even have access to heat sources. On the vast Turkic steppe, there was little that could be used to provide warmth.

  The alliance was probably more anxious than even the Great Tang.

  “So what should we do now?” Crown Prince’s Junior Guardian Wang Zhongsi asked.

  Wang Zhongsi and the other Great Generals did not know much about the war plan. Wang Chong was the only one who knew the entire thing, but so long as Wang Chong was confident, they were certain of their victory in this battle.

  “There’s no reason to rush. Continue with our current plans. The more it’s like this, the more we can relax. The more confident we are, the more worried Youzhou will be.”

  Wang Chong lightly tapped his fingers against the wall, his voice brimming with confidence.

  This war in Youzhou would be the last war between human empires on this continent.

  Step by step, Wang Chong had gradually reached his current position. Not only had the Great Tang not declined through successive disasters, it was stronger than ever before.

  So long as he stood here, An Lushan would never have a sliver of success.

  Creee!

  As he was thinking, a sharp eagle cry came from overhead, this cry completely different from before.

  Wang Chong frowned and immediately turned to Old Eagle.

  “This is bad. It’s a message from the snow eagle. It seems that something is—”

  Old Eagle’s eyes flashed as he looked doubtfully at the sky.

  Old Eagle far surpassed anyone when it came to surveillance with birds. The unique bird language he had developed could convey information on an extremely detailed level.

  But eagles were not people and could not express themselves as easily as humans. This sound the eagle had made was one that Old Eagle had rarely heard before, and it was not part of the language he had established.

  Before Old Eagle could finish, a screech came from above, and the cry of the snow eagle came to a sudden stop.

  Old Eagle paled.

  A few moments later, Wang Chong’s face turned grim in realization, and he peered into the depths of the snowstorm.

  Rumble!

  The others didn’t notice anything at first, but soon, what sounded like a muffled boom of thunder began to approach the steel fortress.

  The sound was very faint at first, but it quickly loudened to a deafening level. A few moments later, a frenzied storm of energy shot toward them.

  “Genesis Supreme!”

  Wang Chong’s pupils constricted, his gaze turning cold.

  Wang Zhongsi and the others grimaced. This energy was simply too immense, far above the Great General level. It was not an attack that any of them could take.

  Thirty thousand feet!

  Twenty thousand feet!

  Five thousand feet!

  The destructive energy moved with incredible speed, and as it surged forward, it absorbed energy from the surrounding cold wave. By the time it reached the steel fortress, this ball of energy had swelled to a diameter of several thousand feet, carrying an unstoppable momentum that left all of them alarmed.

  Only Wang Chong maintained his composure, simply standing on the wall and showing no intent of stopping it.

  Finally…

  Boom!

  With a massive bang, an invisible barrier stopp
ed that destructive sphere of energy about ten meters from the walls.

  With an explosion, a destructive wave of energy swept over the earth, but none of this energy was able to penetrate the barrier.

  On the walls, the armor of the Great Generals clattered, but none of them were injured.

  Wang Chong placed his hands behind his back and said, “Genesis Supreme, you have always called yourself a god, so are gods scoundrels that ambush others?”

  After a moment of silence, cold laughter came out of the snowstorm.

  “Impudent thing, you still dare to speak so brazenly in front of this god, not even realizing that the day of your death is near!”

  Whoosh!

  As this voice rang out, energy erupted out of the storm, sweeping the wind and snow aside.

  Everyone focused and soon spotted the figure of Genesis Supreme, floating in the sky one thousand feet away.

  He was still wearing that suit of golden divine armor, and he exuded an immense majesty that exerted great pressure on everyone besides Wang Chong. Those cold and sharp eyes were brighter than the sun, and not even the snow could obscure them.

  Genesis Supreme stared at Wang Chong, making no effort to conceal his killing intent.

  This steel fortress was much sturdier than he had expected. He had used seventy percent of his strength in that strike, but in the end, it had failed to shake the fortress in the slightest.

  After being bitten by a snake once, one would fear rope for ten years. In the capital, Wang Chong had borrowed the power of the Xiangliu Formation to destroy Genesis Supreme’s physical body, almost taking his soul with it. Now that he was facing another large formation, how could he dare to test it with his body?

  Even though this fortress did not have the Xiangliu Formation, Genesis Supreme did not dare to try.

  Who could tell if there wasn’t another trap?

  And Wang Chong was also in the fortress, making Genesis Supreme even less inclined to be reckless.

  The two were in a bizarre stalemate.

  “A pile of nonsense! The one whose death day is nearing is you!” Wang Chong jeered in reply, and as everyone watched in shock, he stepped forward and left the walls.

  Genesis Supreme’s pupils slightly constricted at this small movement, his face grimacing.

  This was a brazen challenge. He had never imagined that in a few months, this youth that had been about as significant as an ant would have reached this level.

  Wang Chong took in Genesis Supreme’s reaction and mentally grinned.

  The times had changed, and Wang Chong had already reached a point that countless martial artists could only dream about, matching ancient existences like Genesis Supreme.

  Even without the protection of the formation, Wang Chong felt no fear.

  “You might not know this, but before his death, the Sage Emperor left behind a slip of paper predicting the day of your death!

  “When you escaped the capital last time, your death day hadn’t come, but this time, there’s no escape!” Wang Chong coldly said.

  “!!!”

  Wang Chong’s casual comment instantly made Genesis Supreme pale, and he lost his confidence.

  As the leaders of the Celestial God Organization, each of the Supremes had an extremely high view of themselves. Mortal royalty and elite experts weren’t worth mentioning to them, but in all these years, there had been one exception.

  That man was the now-deceased Sage Emperor, Li Taiyi.

  Li Taiyi had been very strong, but his schemes were even more frightening.

  The Celestial God Organization had attempted to kill him many times, and Li Taiyi had intentionally revealed flaws and weaknesses.

  Even though the Celestial God Organization had been on their guard against such things, they still took the bait each time, for Li Taiyi’s plans were simply too profound.

  And the final result of their probes was that the Celestial God Organization lost two Supremes to Li Taiyi.

  Though Genesis Supreme was extremely arrogant, he still feared Li Taiyi.

  Chapter 2222 - Preparing for Battle!

  Chapter 2222: Preparing for Battle!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Given how cunning Li Taiyi was, if he had really left something for Wang Chong…

  The thought left Genesis Supreme extremely uneasy.

  “Absurd! With this skill, you dare to try and deceive this god?!” Genesis Supreme coldly said.

  “Hmph! You can believe what you want.”

  Rather than arguing, Wang Chong simply smiled.

  Though Genesis Supreme said that he didn’t believe, his expression had sold him out.

  At times, the mouth was not in agreement with the mind.

  The Sage Emperor had fought with Genesis Supreme and his ilk his entire life. They hated him to the bone, but they also feared him to the bone.

  “Reckless fool, attempting to flaunt your skill with words! What does it matter if this god lets you remain cocky for a few more days? Once the walls fall, you will pay a price for your arrogance! No one in this fortress will leave it alive!” Genesis Supreme coldly proclaimed.

  Genesis Supreme shot Wang Chong a profound glance, and his body slowly began to fade into the distance until not even a wisp of his energy remained.

  Wang Chong watched Genesis Supreme leave, his eyes shining as countless thoughts ran through his mind.

  “Let’s go!”

  Wang Chong turned around and quickly began to descend from the walls.

  The days continued to pass, and while the rest of the continent actively attempted to resist the cold, within Youzhou, beneath Genesis Supreme’s massive formation, an army was preparing for war.

  Rumble!

  Lightning crackled and thunder boomed. In an area not far from the alliance camp and beyond the range of the formation, hooves thundered against the ground. The Yeluohe were covered in thick layers of snow, but their movements were entirely unaffected, and they moved through this world of snow and ice as a fish would move through water, as if they had been designed for this world.

  If one observed carefully, one would be able to see cold wisps of energy flowing into their bodies. In this frigid environment, the Yeluohe grew stronger with each passing moment.

  A stalwart and imposing Yeluohe sat tall upon its horse, its eyes shining like stars as it surveyed its surroundings, seeming indescribably strange and bizarre.

  “Hahaha, the method given by Genesis Supreme truly is effective. With this special equipment, how can we not defeat the Great Tang?!”

  Smug and rough laughter broke out from behind this Yeluohe.

  Nearby, An Lushan was mounted atop an ordinary Turkic steed, elated as he felt the invisible and warm energy of laws around him.

  “Master, this method truly is effective. If even I can enter the snowstorm with the Yeluohe, the others will be able to as well!”

  Behind An Lushan, Gao Shang was wearing a simple robe and riding upon his own horse, and his face was beaming.

  Unlike the soldiers in the army, Gao Shang did not practice martial arts and did not possess a very profound cultivation. But despite the fact that he was surrounded by wind and snow, Gao Shang could feel no chill on his body on this outing with An Lushan.

  If even he could endure this frigid winter, then the soldiers would definitely be fine.

  They had been training with the Yeluohe for several days now. This final outing was to see if this method was truly plausible or not.

  The energy radiated out from the Yeluohe as a halo, spreading out to the other soldiers, allowing them to obtain the cold resistance of the Yeluohe. It seemed that this method really did work.

  And from their experiments, they had determined that a single Yeluohe could cover twenty to fifty soldiers, and with some special equipment, eighty to ninety percent of the alliance army could sortie to battle in the snowstorm.

  Most importantly, over this period of time, Genesis Supreme a
nd the Divine Works Elder had managed to solve that critical flaw of the Yeluohe—their inability to distinguish friend from foe.

  In large part, this problem was because Genesis Supreme had not granted enough authority over the Yeluohe to An Lushan!

  Gallop!

  Just when the pair was celebrating the experiment’s success, the thundering of hooves came from behind them. A few moments later, an Imperial Martial realm Hu general arrived, his body covered in frost and ice.

  “Master, Venerable Genesis Supreme has requested that Master return to base to discuss the assault on the fortress!”

  “Let’s go!”

  Sovereign and subject exchanged a glance before turning their horses around and riding back to Youzhou territory.

  The main hall of the Youzhou headquarters was packed. Ozmish Khagan, Yeon Gaesomun, the Khitan King, and the Xi Queen were all present, and occupying the very central position were An Lushan and Genesis Supreme, who were seated next to each other.

  An Lushan was nominally the supreme commander, but everyone knew that Genesis Supreme was the real deciding voice. After all, he had been the one to call this conference.

  But at this moment, nobody cared. Their attention was entirely focused on the model fortress cast from metal in the center of the hall.

  The steel fortress!

  This miniature model fortress was none other than the Tang base not far to their south, the steel fortress that Wang Chong was using against the alliance.

  This was their battlefield model.

  The metal model was intricately constructed, with all the barracks, towers, and walls almost identical to the real fortress.

  The alliance had not created this model recently through scouting and observation. In truth, they had known the exact layout of the steel fortress long before this.

  The Celestial God Organization had sent those disguised men in black to infiltrate the Tang ranks, and they had gone undetected for a long time. In that period of time, they had copied down the interior layout of the fortress, and when they returned, they had worked with the craftsmen under the Divine Works Elder to produce a diagram from which this exquisite model had been produced.