Immortal Martial Emperor

"Hong Yu, you’re courting death!"

A roar of thunderous fury shook the entire inn.

A dense power coalesced into a vigorous palm wind that howled toward him.

It was exceptionally sharp and ferocious, an attack meant to kill!

A chill ran through Hong Yu as alarms blared in his mind. He knew this palm strike was powerful enough to severely injure him. Without hesitation, he changed the trajectory of the foot that was about to stomp on Zhang Kang, instead thrusting it beneath Zhang Kang’s abdomen.

Then, with a flex of his calf, he launched Zhang Kang high into the air.

WHOOSH!

Zhang Kang, his face covered in blood and already unconscious, flew out like a human cannonball.

He was headed right into the path of Xiahuang Dun’s sharp Palm Wind.

"Dammit!"

Xiahuang Dun’s expression changed.

He saw clearly that the flying Zhang Kang was right in the path of his palm strike.

The force behind this palm was terrifying. If it hit, Zhang Kang would be crippled, if not killed outright.

But it was too late!

He had struck in anger and couldn’t possibly retract his power in time.

BANG!

The Palm Light, roaring like thunder, slammed squarely into Zhang Kang’s body.

"Argh!"

Zhang Kang shrieked, his body convulsing as if in a violent cramp.

A mouthful of dark blood sprayed from his lips.

THUD!

Poor Zhang Kang hit the ground like a sack of mud, twitching uncontrollably as blood gushed from him like a spring, showing no signs of stopping.

"Kang’er, Kang’er, you have to be okay..."

Zhang Lang rushed forward, clutching Zhang Kang tightly and wailing in despair.

A flicker of annoyance crossed Xiahuang Dun’s eyes. He tossed out a bottle of pills and said coldly, "Give him this. It’ll save his life."

"Ah? A Fifth-grade Healing Spirit Pill? Thank you, thank you, Young Master Xiahuang!"

Zhang Lang said, overcome with gratitude.

After taking the Fifth-grade Healing Spirit Pill, Zhang Kang slowly regained consciousness, but he was only awake. His entire body was still wracked with excruciating pain.

He stared at Hong Yu with venomous hatred, grinding his teeth. "Brother Xiahuang, you must avenge me!"

Xiahuang Dun nodded, his face cold. "Don’t worry. For him to act so arrogantly in my presence clearly means he has no respect for me, Xiahuang Dun. Today, not even the Celestial King himself could get you out of here alive!"

Facing Xiahuang Dun’s sinister gaze, Hong Yu took a deep breath. "Were you the one who wanted Little Chenxi’s bracelet just now?"

"That’s right!"

Xiahuang Dun grinned menacingly. "I was thinking of offering you something to hand over the bracelet. But now, it seems I won’t have to waste my things. I’ll just kill you and have your friends give me the Primordial Weapon Bracelet."

"Kill me? We don’t have any grievances, do we?" Hong Yu frowned.

Xiahuang Dun’s strength, ranked in the top thirty of the Unparalleled True Dragons, wasn’t enough to make him afraid.

However...

He was a member of the Imperial Family. If conflict could be avoided, Hong Yu naturally preferred not to stir up trouble.

But it was not to be!

Xiahuang Dun spoke with a sinister air. "Grievances? The Xiahuang Family is the master of the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom. Every blade of grass and every tree in the entire Ancient Kingdom belongs to my family. My wanting your Primordial Weapon Bracelet is a blessing for you, yet you dared to refuse and even injured Zhang Kang. For that, you are destined to fall here today!"

"So when extortion fails, you resort to murder and robbery?" Hong Yu asked.

Xiahuang Dun was completely brazen. "So what if I do? I’m a member of the Xiahuang Family. Even if I kill you, no one would dare say a single word against me!"

"In that case, what’s with all the pointless talk?"

Hong Yu was furious now too.

His brows twitched and his hair danced without any wind. His aura was so powerful it made hearts tremble.

Xiahuang Dun narrowed his eyes, which crackled with lightning.

A layer of purple light swirled around his body, flowing like electric serpents made of thunder and lightning slithering over his skin.

Under the pressure of this immense aura, the massive wooden pillars around him began to hum and tremble, looking as if they might collapse at any moment.

Zhang Lang’s face paled. "Young Master Xiahuang, you absolutely can’t fight in here! If you destroy the Aolai Inn, our auction house won’t be able to open on time!"

"Hm?"

Xiahuang Dun’s expression shifted slightly.

If it were just the Aolai Inn, he wouldn’t care. He would have attacked without restraint; if it got destroyed, so be it.

But the thought that he also had a stake in it, and that the profitable auction house might not open on schedule, gave him pause. The losses would be substantial, and more importantly, it would be difficult to explain to the person behind it all.

At this thought, Xiahuang Dun’s cold eyes swept over Hong Yu. "Do you dare fight me outside the city?"

"Why wouldn’t I dare?"

Hong Yu was neither servile nor overbearing, showing not a trace of fear.

’So what if he’s in the top thirty of the Unparalleled True Dragons?’

’My goal is to be one of the Ten Great Unparalleled Prodigies, maybe even take the throne as the strongest in the entire Southern Border Profound Domain. Why would I fear a mere Unparalleled True Dragon?’

"How bold. For your courage, I’ll leave you with an intact corpse!" Xiahuang Dun said.

His body blurred, and a pair of Thunderous Wings unfurled from his back.

These Thunderous Wings were five or six meters long and granted him incredible flight speed. It must be some kind of Body Technique Secret Skill, similar to the Divine Demon Wings.

HUMMM!

Six streaks of black light rose up from Hong Yu’s back.

The Divine Demon Wings fully extended. Each one was over ten meters long. As the six black wings beat, they flowed with a terrifying light, and runes swirled around them, emitting a heart-pounding energy.

WHOOSH!

Hong Yu followed right behind, bursting out of the Aolai Inn.

One chasing the other, they shot toward the outside of the city like a storm of wind and lightning.

All the experts inside the Aolai Inn followed them out, chasing madly in the direction the two had gone.

They weren’t about to miss this fight!

Xiahuang Dun had been famous for a long time. Although he was from a branch of the Imperial Family, his combat power was astonishing, and he was one of the geniuses the Imperial Family was heavily invested in training.

And Hong Yu!

An unknown youth who actually dared to confront Xiahuang Dun head-on.

Whether he was young and ignorant, a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger, or whether he truly had the backing and strength to fight Xiahuang Dun...

...this battle was bound to be spectacular.

"What? Someone’s going to fight Xiahuang Dun?"

"Xiahuang Dun’s combat power is astounding. He’s not to be underestimated. This fight should be incredible!"

"It’s been so long since I’ve seen experts of the Unparalleled True Dragon Level fight. I heard there was a duel at sea before, but I missed it. I absolutely can’t miss this one!"

"What’s there to see? The outcome is already decided. Xiahuang Dun will win for sure."

Countless experts whispered among themselves, exchanging their opinions.

The news spread like wildfire, from one to ten, from ten to a hundred...

Before long, more than half of the experts in the Outer City of the Imperial Capital had heard the news and were all heading out of the city.

Hong Yu and Xiahuang Dun flew one after the other, their speed astonishingly fast.

A look of astonishment crossed Xiahuang Dun’s face. ’My Wind and Thunder Wings increase my speed twofold. Even an ordinary Primordial Spirit Realm expert might not be able to keep up with me. Yet this Hong Yu is not a bit slower. It seems those six black wings on his back are no ordinary item—they must be a Treasure!’

At the thought of a Treasure, the light in Xiahuang Dun’s eyes grew hotter and more greedy. ’I must kill him to get that Sixth-Grade Bracelet. Once I have it, I’ll be unstoppable. I’m confident I can break into the top twenty of the Unparalleled True Dragons!’

Flying a hundred kilometers was no long journey at their speed.

The two came to a stop above a massive inland lake about ten kilometers outside the Outer City. They stared at each other in silence, their gazes meeting as their powerful auras surged and clashed.

Their combined momentum was so strong that it created sonic booms in the vacuum between them. BOOM! BOOM!

The shockwaves from the explosions sent massive columns of water surging into the air.

"Look, they’re over here!"

"They actually chose to fight above Bright Mirror Lake?"

"An Unparalleled Genius, an Unparalleled True Dragon; two heroes gather, one is destined to stain Bright Mirror Lake with his blood..."

Some gasped in amazement, others sighed with emotion, and some even began to recite dramatic poetry.

More and more experts arrived in succession.

They all stared, transfixed, at the two figures in the sky. The two opponents, facing off like the sun and moon vying for glory, held the fervent attention of every single person.

"So many people are here to watch your final battle. Even in death, you should be proud!" Xiahuang Dun declared.

Hong Yu laughed heartily. "Isn’t it a bit too early to decide who lives and who dies?"

"Hmph. You are destined to die!"

Xiahuang Dun was full of confidence.

He slowly raised a hand, gathering a mass of lightning in his palm. It condensed into a Thunder Ball, hovering like a bolt of thunder held by one of the Deities, pulsing with heart-stopping power.

"I can kill you even without using a Mystical Illusion!"

Xiahuang Dun looked at Hong Yu with contempt, his posture arrogant. "Die!"

As soon as the word left his mouth, the mass of lightning shot out from his hand.

BZZZT!

The thunder shook the air as it howled toward its target.

Seeing it rush right at him, Hong Yu remained fearless, gathering cyan light in one hand.

He activated the Cyan Celestial Transformation Dragon Technique, forming Dragon Scales as the True Dragon Arm enveloped his right hand.

"Break for me!"

His low roar boomed like a temple bell.

His fist, suffused with cyan light, shot out and smashed directly into the ball of lightning.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion rocked the air.

The ball of lightning shattered. A black shadow flashed past, and Hong Yu closed the distance between himself and Xiahuang Dun even faster than the thunder.

"You do have some skill, I’ll give you that. But it’s still not enough!"

Xiahuang Dun remained calm and unruffled, still convinced of his inevitable victory. "Life and Death Fist Technique!"

A Celestial-Level Martial Skill could influence Spiritual Power.

The Fist Dao was mysterious and unpredictable, relentless and unending!

The Life and Death Fist Technique gathered two fist winds, one black and one white, which coalesced and seared the air with terrifying power.

The shockwave from this one punch violently compressed the surface of Bright Mirror Lake, causing it to collapse more than ten meters in the center, while the surrounding water surged and rose significantly.

Faced with such a powerful attack, Hong Yu directly countered with "Heaven and Earth Have Me"!

How terrifying was the Great Destruction Fist!

This punch was like one delivered by a living deity, blasting through the sky as if to shatter the heavens and destroy a capital city.

RUMBLE!

The two fists collided.

A brilliant light, like a blazing sun, hung in the sky, illuminating the area.

BANG!

Both fist shadows shattered and disappeared at the same time.

"Hm? Where’s Hong Yu?" Xiahuang Dun’s expression changed.

In the aftermath of the explosion, he couldn’t find any sign of Hong Yu.

However... the next moment, a black shadow appeared behind him.

’Not good!’

Xiahuang Dun instinctively tried to dodge.

But how could he match Hong Yu’s speed?

WHAM!

A vicious kick slammed into Xiahuang Dun’s back. He stumbled forward, nearly coughing up blood.

He glared at Hong Yu with a murderous look. "I still underestimated you. But this time, I’ll use my full strength. You will surely die!"

BOOM!

A phantom image of a Thunder Ancient Beast materialized behind Xiahuang Dun.

This was the Thunder Beast illusion that manifested after one had cultivated the Thunder Mysteries to their absolute peak.

When the Thunder Beast appeared, all would submit!

Facing the ferocious Thunder Beast, Hong Yu’s lips curved into a disdainful smile. "Didn’t you say you could beat me without using a Mystical Illusion? Couldn’t help yourself after all?"

"You..."

Xiahuang Dun’s face contorted.

The situation had been so urgent that he had forgotten his own words, only remembering them now.

The thought of his own confident declaration, only to be forced to use his Mystical Illusion first, sent Xiahuang Dun into a rage fueled by humiliation. "I’m going to kill you!"

The Thunder Beast illusion surged with immense power.

Just as it was about to charge forward again, at this critical moment, a figure approached, moving faster and more nimbly than lightning itself.

A calm voice spoke, yet it caused many of the experts present who guessed the newcomer’s identity to gasp in shock...

"W-why is he here?"