Immortal Martial Emperor

"Damn you! You destroyed the Guiyuan Sect’s Mountain Gate! Die, you brat!"

The expressions of the ten Guiyuan Sect disciples guarding the Mountain Gate changed drastically.

With the Mountain Gate destroyed, they were undeniably responsible and would surely face a brutal punishment.

Their only hope of atoning for this failure was to capture or even kill the culprit, Hong Yu. This, combined with their rage and shattered conviction, caused them to lose all rationality.

They didn’t even stop to consider the gap in strength between themselves and Hong Yu.

The strongest of the ten experts was only at the Late-stage Earth Soul Realm, but their equipment was quite formidable and their Martial Skills were exceptional.

Facing the ten-man assault, Hong Yu’s eyes narrowed. He spun around and thrust out a palm. "Three Flames Palm!"

A wave of fire erupted forth.

Under the impact of the scorching wave, the ten men were instantly engulfed in a sea of flames, letting out wretched screams.

After unleashing the palm strike, Hong Yu paid the men no more mind and headed straight for the Guiyuan Hall.

Up in that hall, a young woman who had been struck down for his sake was waiting for him, helpless and lost.

’Tianshuang, wait for me!’

Hong Yu took a deep breath, channeling Tyrant’s Walk through his legs and accelerating to an incredible speed.

About a fifth of the way there, a dense crowd of figures appeared ahead. Each one radiated a menacing aura, brandished a weapon, and charged forward, brimming with killing intent.

Qi Tianbao was leading the charge.

From a distance...

The two sides spotted each other.

As the saying goes, when enemies meet, their eyes burn with hatred. Hong Yu could never forget that it was this despicable villain before him who had betrayed his trust, launching a sneak attack with the Yama Shuttle at a critical moment.

If luck hadn’t been on his side, he would never have survived that catastrophe.

Worse still, this was the man who had struck Beichen Tianshuang to the ground and intended to defile her. Old hatreds and new, this was absolutely unforgivable!

"Qi Tianbao, die!"

Hong Yu roared in fury.

He activated Thunder Step. With a sound like rolling thunder, his body shot forward like a bolt of lightning.

Qi Tianbao’s expression grew grim.

His eyes filled with a sinister, venomous light as he snarled, "Thirty of you, go tie him down! Teach him a harsh lesson. The rest of you, follow me! We’ll set up the array and activate the Mountain Protection Grand Array to slay this fiend!"

"Yes!"

"Anyone who dares trespass in the Guiyuan Sect is dead, no matter who they are!"

"Kill!"

More than thirty men, eager for the kill, charged at Hong Yu.

These were all elite inner disciples. Forget Hong Yu; even Qi Tianbao, or Zheng Tian before his breakthrough to the Primordial Core Realm, would have had to pay a steep price to face thirty of them at once.

A mere Hong Yu, they thought, would be no problem at all!

However...

They would soon pay the price for their ignorance and arrogance.

Facing the assault of over thirty men, Hong Yu didn’t slow in the slightest, gripping the Godslaying Long Spear in his right hand.

As he leaned forward, the muscles in his right arm bulged, and immense power surged into the limb.

He thrust his arm forward, and the Godslaying Spear shot out with unstoppable momentum.

BOOM!

The Godslaying Spear pulsed with golden light, coalescing into a sharp Spear Aura. Like an Azure Dragon born amidst thunder, it rampaged forward with overwhelming might.

The golden Spear Aura was a full thirty meters long!

Any expert who came into contact with the golden Spear Aura of the Godslaying Spear trembled in body and soul, feeling an inexplicable sense of terror and dread.

The energy fluctuations emanating from the Godslaying Spear were simply too terrifying.

PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!

Under Hong Yu’s furious strike, the thirty men became as fragile as tofu, sent flying in all directions.

With a single strike, he had instantly killed thirty disciples of the Guiyuan Sect.

This display of strength caused the expression of Qi Tianbao, who was busy setting up the array, to change dramatically. "How is this possible? Wh-when did this guy get so strong? Damn it..."

Amidst his shock, Qi Tianbao suddenly saw Hong Yu looking at him, and his heart began to pound wildly.

"Everyone, hurry up! Control the arrays and kill him for me!"

Qi Tianbao snarled.

"Rolling Stone Array ready!"

"Thunder Array ready!"

"Ten Thousand Swords Array ready!"

The Guiyuan Sect experts reported one after another, their voices rising in powerful waves.

Seeing the dozen or so Mountain Protection Attack Arrays light up around him, the fear in Qi Tianbao’s heart subsided. A sinister glint flashed in his eyes. "Hong Yu, oh, Hong Yu. You had a path to heaven, but you chose to storm the gates of hell."

"The attack power of the Guiyuan Sect’s Mountain Protection Grand Array is considered number one among the Southern Ten Nations! For you to dare to charge into my Guiyuan Sect all alone, you’re simply courting death!"

Qi Tianbao glared at Hong Yu with venomous eyes.

Hong Yu raised an eyebrow, saying flatly, "Your fellow disciples said the same thing to me before I entered the Mountain Gate."

"You..."

Qi Tianbao’s face stiffened.

He hadn’t expected that Hong Yu could actually break through the Mountain Gate’s Grand Array by force.

Although the array at the Mountain Gate was purely defensive and possessed no offensive capabilities, its defenses were so strong that even a Primordial Core Realm expert would have difficulty breaking through.

And yet, this supposedly indestructible Mountain Gate had become as fragile as sand in Hong Yu’s hands.

The first time he saw the shattered Mountain Gate, Qi Tianbao had been deeply shocked, and his confidence had faltered, making him unsure if he could handle Hong Yu.

However, after successfully activating the Mountain Protection Attack Arrays, his confidence returned. "Hong Yu, don’t be so blindly arrogant as to think no one in the Guiyuan Sect can stop you. Let me tell you, the Spirit Array Runes on the Mountain Gate were mostly for defensive purposes. But the arrays I now control are genuine Attack Arrays."

Qi Tianbao’s eyes filled with disdain and a chilling coldness. "Forget you—you’re only in the Celestial Soul Realm. Even a Primordial Core Realm expert would meet their end before these Mountain Protection Attack Arrays!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

Hong Yu smiled wryly.

Qi Tianbao shouted coldly, "Since you’re so intent on dying, then I’ll grant your wish! Brothers, attack!"

"Kill!"

"Thunder Array—activate!"

"Rolling Stone Array—activate!"

"Flame Array..."

In an instant, thunder, flames, rolling stones...

All kinds of Attack Arrays activated, as if a host of supremely powerful experts were simultaneously unleashing their strongest attacks on Hong Yu.

These Mountain Protection Attack Arrays were one of the Guiyuan Sect’s strongest lines of defense, and Qi Tianbao had not exaggerated their power in the slightest.

The moment they clashed, the battle became white-hot.

Meanwhile, high up in the Guiyuan Hall, countless experts were watching the battle unfold.

Tie Tongtian looked at the old man anxiously. "Grandfather, what’s the situation? Is Younger Brother Hong in danger?"

Old Sir Tie shook his head. "It’s hard to say. The Guiyuan Sect’s Mountain Protection Attack Arrays are not the same as the Mountain Gate Defense Array."

"These Attack Arrays were personally designed and laid out by Yuan Cang. And Yuan Cang is a man on the cusp of becoming a Tier Four Spiritual Craftsman. The power of the arrays he creates is definitely not to be underestimated."

Old Sir Tie patted Tie Tongtian’s shoulder comfortingly. "But don’t you worry too much. Fortune favors the fortunate, and Hong Yu is one of them. I think he still has a chance to break through these arrays!"

"Hmph. Iron Elder, you think too highly of that little bastard, don’t you?"

Wang Ba snorted, interrupting Old Sir Tie. "I admit his talent and strength are decent, but anyone who dares to offend my Guiyuan Sect is doomed to die. I’ll bet he won’t even make it halfway up this Guiyuan Celestial Ladder!"

"Oh? Elder Wang seems quite confident," Old Sir Tie said, narrowing his eyes.

Wang Ba sneered. "Sect Master Yuan Cang did indeed design these arrays originally, but his methods were too merciful. The power of each array was suppressed. So, I personally reinforced them, pushing the power of each one to its absolute limit. Since this brat dares to provoke the might of the Guiyuan Sect, he will certainly die!"

"Pushed to the limit, you say? I wonder if Elder Wang would be interested in making a wager with this old man?"

Old Sir Tie said suddenly.

"What are we betting?"

Old Sir Tie smiled. "I’ll wager that the young man can reach the Guiyuan Hall completely unscathed... If I lose, I will transfer all of the Iron Soldier Pavilion’s shares in the Tianmu Mountain Ore Vein to the Guiyuan Sect!"

"Oh?"

Wang Ba was stunned, a greedy light flashing in his eyes. But he was an old fox and wouldn’t show his hand so easily. "Old Sir Tie, you’ve always been known for your cunning strategies. For you to propose such a high-stakes wager truly puts me in a difficult position!"

"Hahaha! Could it be that Elder Wang has no confidence in the arrays he’s modified?" Old Sir Tie said, feigning surprise.

As expected, Wang Ba’s face darkened. He snorted. "Fine, I’ll take that bet. If I lose..."

Before he could finish, Tie Tongtian, who was standing to the side, suddenly interjected, "If you lose, you will give up the Beichen Commerce Association and return it to Beichen Feng and his son!"

"Hm?"

Wang Ba froze, his cold, sharp gaze sweeping over Tie Tongtian.

Old Sir Tie said flatly, "My grandson’s words are my own."

"Fine, I’ll take your bet! Heh heh, if someone wants to gift me such a rich ore vein, who am I to refuse!"

Wang Ba snorted. As his eyes flickered, he condensed his spiritual consciousness into a Secret Transmission. "Tian’Er, go and prepare. Summon the Eighteen Guiyuan Demon Guards. That Iron Elder is cunning and full of tricks. For him to be so confident that Hong Yu can pass, there must be a reason we don’t know about. It’s always best to be prepared, just in case!"

"Rest assured, Master. With me here, that Hong Yu will never set foot in the Guiyuan Hall!"

Zheng Tian nodded, a cold arc forming on his lips, and turned to leave.

...

「On the long, narrow stairs.」

Dozens of Attack Arrays had been pushed to their absolute limits. Terrifying thunder, scorching Flaming Long Dragons, and savage, monstrous torrents all surged forth, activated by the arrays.

Like a cataclysm that blotted out the sky, the attacks surged to drown Hong Yu.

A heaven-shattering, earth-splitting, apocalyptic barrage of attacks instantly enveloped Hong Yu.

Qi Tianbao’s eyes flashed with a chilling coldness and hysterical madness. ’Under such a terrifying and dense assault, forget a mere Hong Yu; even a Primordial Core Realm expert could only stand there and take the beating! Hong Yu, you’re dead for sure!’

A look of excitement and confidence surged in his eyes.

However...

When the sky-blotting attacks dissipated and the young man at their center appeared, his body shimmering with a golden Flowing Light and completely unscathed, the smug and sinister look on Qi Tianbao’s face froze.

He stared in horror at the golden-glowing, War God-like youth, so dumbfounded he couldn’t speak. "T-to tank the attacks of dozens of Attack Arrays and emerge completely unscathed? H-how is that possible?"

Just then, Hong Yu suddenly looked up.

The attacks hadn’t managed to injure him, but they had completely shredded his clothes, revealing a lean, powerful physique.

His muscular upper body was covered in a network of grim, hideous scars, like centipedes crawling over his skin. A gruesome hole over his heart was especially chilling to behold.

Arcs of golden light, like golden thunder serpents, slithered across his body. Hong Yu fixed his cold, sharp gaze on Qi Tianbao, pointed the Godslaying Spear at him, and roared...

"Qi Tianbao, get your ass down here!"