Immortal Martial Emperor

Time passed quickly.

A night had passed in the blink of an eye since the end of the Inner Sect Promotion Tournament.

With the help of the Rejuvenation Pills, Hong Yu’s injuries had mostly recovered.

While the Rejuvenation Pill’s miraculous effects played a part, his recovery was mostly due to the powerful regenerative abilities granted by his cultivation of the Eight Desolates Saint Slaying Technique.

WHOOSH!

Hong Yu released a long, turbid breath and stood up.

He had been sitting cross-legged on the roof, meditating and regulating his breath. His left eye was still shut tight. The Spiritual Power he had called upon to attack Hong Renjie yesterday had overloaded it, and the strain was so great that it still hadn’t recovered. Hong Yu wasn’t worried, though. Based on his past experience, he knew his eye would naturally heal once his Spiritual Power was restored.

Sitting atop the roof of the highest courtyard on Cyan Cliff Peak, Hong Yu gazed at the morning sun gradually rising from the horizon and felt a sense of profound comfort wash over him.

’To stand at the peak and see all mountains dwarfed below!’

This feeling of standing at the summit, bathed in the first rays of sunlight, could truly broaden one’s mind and heart.

"My injuries are healed now. It’s time I went to check on Lao Liu and Old Gao," Hong Yu murmured.

He vaguely recalled telling Huhu to take Gao Zijie and Liu Liyun back to their stone house to rest yesterday.

Leaping down from the roof, Hong Yu headed down the mountain.

Along the way...

Everyone who saw Hong Yu greeted him respectfully, their faces wreathed in flattering smiles.

"Brother Hong, have you eaten breakfast? If not, I just got some freshly steamed meat buns. Care to try one?"

"Greetings, Brother Hong! We met once in the Task Hall!"

"Brother Hong, please look after this little brother in the future!"

"Hello, Brother Hong! I’m from the same hometown as Liu Liyun, and we’re pretty good friends. I hope you’ll help me get ahead in the future!"

"Brother Hong, I heard you don’t have a girlfriend yet? My great-aunt’s cousin’s uncle has a very pretty daughter. She’s one of the four great beauties of Shangshui City and is still unspoken for. How about I introduce you?"

"What’s so great about the four beauties of Shangshui City? My younger sister is the number one beauty of Celestial Fire City! Brother Hong, how about you take my sister?"

Watching the Outer Sect Disciples, each more enthusiastic than the last and practically throwing themselves at him, Hong Yu felt his eye twitch and fled in disarray.

He suddenly realized that being the center of too much attention was its own form of suffering!

"Good heavens, these guys are intense!"

After sprinting for a while, he finally shook off the enthusiastic crowd and breathed a sigh of relief.

The memory of one guy offering to "pick up the soap" for him and a girl offering to bear his children made his head ache.

This experience made Hong Yu more deeply appreciate the changes his new status had brought. In the past, who would have even paid attention to him on the road? If anyone did happen to glance his way, it was always with a look of disdain and contempt. It was a blessing if they didn’t mock him with cold sarcasm.

But now...

How many people had been chasing after him on this very path, fawning and flattering, trying to curry favor?

"The human heart, human nature... they truly are the most difficult things to grasp," Hong Yu sighed softly.

He continued walking and soon arrived at Liu Liyun and Gao Zijie’s stone house.

The two of them were lying on the bed, wrapped up like zongzi. The Little Beast Huhu was holding a teacup, sipping from it out of boredom.

Suddenly sensing Hong Yu’s arrival, Huhu gave an excited cry and, with a SWOOSH, rushed in front of him. It stood up on its hind legs and gently tugged at his pants, its face a picture of someone trying to curry favor and take credit.

Hong Yu smiled and flicked the little guy’s fluffy forehead. "Alright, I know you worked hard."

With a flick of his finger, a century-old wild ginseng root landed in the little beast’s paws.

"Huhu!"

The little beast excitedly hugged the ginseng, darted into a corner in a few flashes, and began to gnaw on it.

The two on the bed also noticed Hong Yu’s arrival. Their eyes turned toward him, both showing expressions of shame. "We’re sorry, Brother Hong. We dragged you down again."

Hong Yu smiled and waved his hand. "If anything, I’m the one who dragged you into this. But it’s all in the past. As long as you two are okay, that’s what matters."

"Thank you, Brother Hong!"

Gratitude welled up in their eyes.

They had personally seen Hong Yu endure Guo Fei’s attacks for their sake. That was a bond they would never forget!

"These are Rejuvenation Pills. Take them now. They’ll be a great help in your recovery." Hong Yu gave each of them a Rejuvenation Pill to take.

Feng Xue Xin was extremely generous, having given him a whole bottle with more than ten pills.

This also saved Hong Yu the trouble of refining Tier Two Spirit Pills himself.

Seeing the two of them take the pills and fall into a deep sleep, Hong Yu called to the Little Beast Huhu. The little guy leaped onto his shoulder, and Hong Yu carried it outside.

He walked aimlessly and, before he knew it, had left Cyan Cliff Peak and arrived at the back of the mountain.

There was a small lake here.

It was extremely secluded, and very few people ever came here.

Hong Yu found an open spot and lay down. He casually plucked a blade of grass and stuck it in his mouth, cradling his head with his hands. He muttered to himself, ’Now that I’ve won the position of First True Disciple, I should theoretically be on the radar of the Inner Sect Elders. If I’m not mistaken, during the main hall assembly in two days, an Elder should offer to take me as their disciple.’

’Master Xue said that Elder Zhu’s status is very high. She seems to be an Elder with Real Power, second only to the Sect Leader. If I want to ask her to act, becoming a disciple of an ordinary Elder probably won’t be enough to have the necessary influence. But if I can become Elder Li’s disciple, that should give me enough standing!’

He chewed on the bitter blade of grass, seemingly unaware of its taste. ’No matter what, I’ll see how things play out then. If possible, it would be best to become Elder Zhu’s disciple directly. That would make it much more convenient to ask for her help.’

Hong Yu planned out the potential scenarios for the assembly in his mind.

No matter what, he had to get Elder Zhu to help. He was willing to pay any price!

"Mountain after mountain, covered in snow; path after path, all white. Birds have vanished, human tracks are wiped away. On the lake, a lone boat; a capped old man, sitting alone..."

A weathered voice, tinged with the melodious rhythm of poetry, interrupted Hong Yu’s thoughts.

He sat up slightly and looked in the direction of the voice.

An old man sat alone in a small boat, holding a long, thin fishing rod, angling for the fish in the lake.

’Huh? Isn’t that Elder Bai?’

Hong Yu’s gaze narrowed. He realized the old man fishing in the middle of the lake was none other than Elder Bai, the guardian of the Outer Sect Martial Arts Hall.

He vaguely remembered that back when he had gone to the Martial Arts Hall, defeated Guo Tao, and drawn out Guo Fei, it was Elder Bai who had stepped in to resolve that very dangerous confrontation.

For this seemingly casual act, Hong Yu was still quite grateful.

"What is he doing here?" Hong Yu muttered to himself.

Just as he was wondering, Hong Yu’s gaze suddenly froze.

He saw that the fishing rod in Elder Bai’s hand was trembling slightly. The movement of Elder Bai’s wrist was so faint that one would not even notice it without careful observation. But it was precisely this faint trembling that was guided through the rod and line into the calm lake surface, sending out ripples one after another.

’This... isn’t this the Vibrating Rune Technique?’ Hong Yu watched, captivated.

In his mind, the path forward for the Vibrating Rune Technique became increasingly clear.

A single stone can stir a thousand waves!

This was the true Vibrating Power! It was countless levels higher than the eighty-one waves of vibrating power he had previously theorized!

’The Vibrating Rune Technique is divided into three parts. I’m currently at the first stage, the entry-level, which can be described as a "gentle breeze brushing the willows"—the wind passes, and the willow’s movement is faint. The Second Stage is a "drop of water entering a pond"—the drop can create ripples, but they eventually merge and dissipate. As for the third stage, "a single stone stirs a thousand waves," it means that as the stone falls and creates ripples, the Vibrating Power will never cease as long as the stone continues to vibrate. This is the true Perfection of the Vibrating Rune Technique!’

Hong Yu opened his eyes again, the corners of his lips turning up in a smile of delight.

He estimated that even without using the Power of his Primordial Spirit, he could now easily unleash thirty-six waves of Vibrating Power.

"Little fellow, your comprehension isn’t bad at all!" A weathered voice suddenly sounded by his ear.

Startled, Hong Yu looked up to see the kind-faced Elder Bai standing before him. He couldn’t help but bow respectfully. "Disciple Hong Yu greets Elder Bai!"

"Mm."

Elder Bai stroked his long beard and smiled faintly. "Little fellow, if this old man is not mistaken, the True Martial Arts Intent you just comprehended should be the ’Vibrating Rune Technique,’ correct?"

"Elder Bai has sharp eyes!"

Hong Yu said quickly.

Elder Bai chuckled. "The Vibrating Rune Technique. Good, very good, excellent! I don’t know how many years it’s been since our Cyan Nether Sword Sect produced another genius capable of comprehending a True Martial Arts Intent. With little fellows like you, Luoo Girl, Feng Xue Xin, Hong Renjie, and Ling Tian, there is hope for the revitalization of our Cyan Nether Sword Sect!"

"Thank you for your praise, Elder Bai!" Hong Yu said, a little reserved.

’He is a high-ranking Elder, after all!’

Elder Bai patted Hong Yu’s shoulder. "Little fellow, keep up the good work."

"This disciple will remember your teachings!"

"Mm."

Elder Bai seemed about to say more, but his white-streaked eyebrows suddenly twitched. "Rest well. We will meet again at the main hall assembly in two days."

When Hong Yu looked up again, he found that Elder Bai had vanished without a trace. He couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath of cold air. ’Just what is Elder Bai’s cultivation level? With my current Perception, I can sense at least a faint trace even if a Celestial Soul Peak Powerhouse were to leave silently. But Elder Bai...’

Unfathomable!

That was the only word he could think of to describe him.

...

「Cyan Nether Main Peak, deep within the magnificent grand hall.」

Inside a vast palace, over a hundred powerhouses dressed in golden Sword Robes sat in attendance.

In the Cyan Nether Sword Sect, only those at the Elder level or above were qualified to wear golden Sword Robes.

As for the purple-gold Sword Robes, they were a symbol of status reserved for the Sect Leader and the Supreme Elders.

With over a hundred Elder-level powerhouses gathered together, it was clear that a major event capable of influencing the destiny of the Sword Sect was about to take place.

In the first seat on the left sat a still-graceful, middle-aged woman. Her status was extremely high, second only to the Sect Leader. She was the Cyan Nether Sword Sect’s chief Spiritual Craftsman—Elder Zhu!

In the seat below Elder Zhu, Elder Luo—who had once argued and made a bet with Elder Li Tie—sat quietly. The two occasionally exchanged meaningful glances, hinting at a close, secretive relationship.

The first seat on the right was occupied by Li Tie.

He looked at the pair in front of him, snorted coldly, and felt a wave of disgust.

"Elder Li, do you know why the Sect Leader has summoned us for this important matter?"

Li Tie looked at his old friend. "I’m not sure either, but I suspect it has to do with the recent promotion tournament."

"This batch of disciples was indeed outstanding, especially the two newcomers, Ling Tian and Hong Yu. They were truly dazzling."

Li Tie nodded. "Ling Tian has the Sect Leader’s guidance, so his performance is to be expected. It’s Hong Yu, on the other hand, who I’m extremely optimistic about."

Across from them, Elder Luo heard this and snorted. "Hmph, just a brat who got lucky."

"Then what does that make someone who got their face thoroughly slapped by that ’lucky’ little brat? Did the dog shit get smeared on your face?" Li Tie retorted calmly.

"You..."

Elder Luo grunted in anger.

Elder Zhu shot Li Tie a sinister glance, then gently pressed her plump hand on Elder Luo’s arm, signaling for him to calm down.

Just then, a calm yet resonant voice suddenly echoed through the grand hall. Upon hearing this voice, all the powerhouses present grew solemn.

"Since everyone is present, I will now announce a few matters. Regarding the promotion tournament, all other things will be handled according to the rules."

After a pause, the resonant voice continued.

"Except for that little fellow named Hong Yu. He will require... special arrangements."