Immortal Martial Emperor

"What’s going on?"

"The Grand Elder came out of seclusion?"

"From the sound of it, Senior Brother Qi was killed? Holy cow, Senior Brother Qi just finished the martial competition not long ago and became one of the Eight Great True Dragons. How could he be dead?"

"In the entire Ice Kingdom, who would dare to kill him?"

"The Xu Family? Or perhaps the Royal Family?"

Liang Hunran’s voice was so deep and powerful that it pierced the clouds, nearly shaking Ice and Snow Peak enough to cause an avalanche.

Every disciple and high-level powerhouse of the Blood Demon Palace was startled by Liang Hunran’s roar. Ordinary disciples watched from afar, while the Blood Demon Palace’s experts rushed over at top speed.

Blood Wen was the current Palace Master of the Blood Demon Palace.

His strength was so great that he ranked among the top three in the Ice Kingdom.

Clad in a Blood Cloud Robe, he looked coldly at Liang Hunran. "Elder Liang, what exactly happened?"

Although Liang Hunran was insidious and rampant, he was exceptionally respectful to Blood Wen, who was his junior in terms of seniority.

Forcibly suppressing the rage in his heart, he said in a grim tone, "Palace Master, my disciple, Qi Tian, has been killed!"

"Oh!"

Blood Wen nodded, glancing casually at Liang Hunran. "The Ice Tower is about to open. Don’t make too much of a scene."

After saying this, Blood Wen turned and left.

After Blood Wen left, the atmosphere in the hall relaxed, and the oppressive feeling from before vanished.

The gathered experts of the Blood Demon Palace all wiped the cold sweat from their brows.

One Elder let out a long sigh. "The Palace Master is finally gone. Even though I’ve served him for decades, I still feel a deep-seated fear every time I see him."

"Indeed. The Palace Master’s strength is far beyond ours!"

Several Elders remarked with emotion.

Only Liang Hunran’s eyes flashed with a sharp glint, a trace of malice and fury flickering within them.

This immediately made the other Elders fall silent.

The one who had spoken first looked at Liang Hunran. "Grand Elder, what do you plan to do?"

"To break through to the Primordial Embryo Realm, Tian’Er needed a Soul-Refining Blood Pool of ten thousand people. Before he left, he mentioned a remote town in the Gobi Desert that was one of the Xu Family’s properties. However, most of the residents are clan members who have fallen out of favor with the Xu Family, so few people pay any attention to them."

Liang Hunran narrowed his eyes, a cold light flaring within them. "I suspect he went there," he said sinisterly.

"Grand Elder, are you suggesting we send people to that Gobi Town?" an Elder asked with a frown.

The Blood Demon Palace and the Xu Family are not on good terms!

’If Qi Tian really did go to that Gobi Town and massacre its people to create a Soul-Refining Blood Pool, sending our own men there now would definitely alert the Xu Family. They could easily use this against us!’

He voiced his concern, "Grand Elder, the Ice Tower is about to open. This is not a good time to get into a conflict with the Xu Family!"

"Hmph, the Xu Family? Right now, the Tang and Cheng Families are dying to kick the Xu Family out of the Ice Tower. They’re having trouble just protecting themselves. How would they dare provoke our Blood Demon Palace?"

Liang Hunran snorted, clearly looking down on the Xu Family.

However, he then changed his tune. "But you have a point. The Royal Family is playing the long game, hoping to watch the tigers fight from a mountaintop. They want to use the Tang and Cheng Families to suppress the Xu Family, but they won’t actually watch the Xu Family be destroyed. In that case, we won’t go to the Gobi Town."

A sinister, chilling smile spread across Liang Hunran’s face. "We’ll just wait for our prey to walk into the trap. Starting today, post extra men to patrol the city gates. If any Primordial Embryo Realm powerhouses appear, report to me immediately!"

"Primordial Embryo Realm?" The Elders were stunned.

Liang Hunran said proudly, "Tian’Er was at the Half-step Primordial Embryo Realm and cultivated the Blood Demon Scripture. In the entire Ice Kingdom, aside from that girl from the Xu Family and the Royal Family’s Crown Prince, only the first and second disciples of my Blood Demon Palace could match him. Besides them, only a Primordial Embryo Realm powerhouse could have killed him. Go and keep a close watch."

Liang Hunran waved his hand. "Someone, go get your Second Senior Brother. I have a mission for him!"

"Yes!"

The man departed swiftly.

’Qi Feng is Qi Tian’s older half-brother. With his skills, he can even fight against a Late-stage Primordial Embryo Realm powerhouse. What’s more, he’s connected to Qi Tian by blood and can use the Blood Demon Scripture to sense the killer’s aura. With him on the case, it’s foolproof!’

The chilling killing intent that erupted from Liang Hunran made the atmosphere in the hall freeze.

’Once I find the bastard who killed Tian’Er, I will tear him to pieces and drink his brain raw.’

The expressions of all the experts present turned to horror.

It seemed Liang Hunran, who had been quiescent for many years, was planning to use this incident to make a comeback.

The Bloodthirsty Demon of old was about to stir up another storm of blood and gore!

And the target of this bloody storm was obviously the murderer who killed his precious disciple...

...

「Thousands of kilometers away, in the Gobi Town.」

Crimson thunderclouds roiled as bolt after bolt of lightning crashed down.

Behind Xingtian, a black and red Devouring Demon Tree danced with strange runes. As its blood-red vines spread out, its canopy surged like a sea of blood.

Waves of terrifying energy fluctuations spread between heaven and earth.

The immense pressure nearly left Hong Yu breathless.

He took a deep breath, squinting at the roiling blood-red clouds. ’Hot damn, the Third Tribulation of an Execution Corpse is this terrifying? I’m afraid even an ordinary Primordial Embryo Realm powerhouse would have trouble withstanding this bizarre lightning tribulation!’ Excitement and thrill immediately followed. ’With Xingtian’s incredible physical defense, I’ll be able to slay even Mid-stage Primordial Embryo Realm powerhouses in the future!’

Hong Yu’s current cultivation was at the Late-stage Primordial Core Realm.

Combined with his Fifteen-Zhang True Dragon Martial Fortune, which provided a boost equivalent to three minor realms, it meant he could easily slay an Early-stage Primordial Embryo Realm powerhouse.

But as the world he interacted with continued to change, Hong Yu’s opponents were gradually shifting from ordinary experts to True Dragon Geniuses of the Heaven-Transforming Realm.

Take Qi Tian, for example!

Although he was only a Second Heaven True Dragon, he had the combat power of the Early-stage Primordial Embryo Realm while still at the Peak of Primordial Core Realm.

If not for the huge flaw in his mental state, making him completely vulnerable to the Spirit Storm, even Hong Yu would have had to pay a certain price to kill him.

’In the end, you have to rely on your own strength. Xingtian’s defense is strong, but its attack power isn’t outstanding. Unless it can advance to the Fourth-Tribulation Corpse Realm and summon a Primordial Embryo Realm-Level Corpse Demon General, it won’t be able to turn the tide if the opponent’s strength exceeds the Mid-stage Primordial Embryo Realm.’

Hong Yu rubbed his nose, his gaze turning cold. The image of Hai Cangtian appeared in his mind, and he gently clenched his fists. ’Hai Cangtian, the next time we meet, I will take back everything you owe me. Only your blood can atone for the pain Tianshuang has suffered.’

RUMBLE!

Just then, the blood-red lightning collided with the Devouring Demon Tree.

There were three bolts of blood-red lightning, and they crashed down with a force no less than the full-power strike of a Mid-stage Primordial Embryo Realm powerhouse.

But before the Devouring Demon Tree, this blood-red lightning was pathetically fragile.

The blood-red vines writhed madly, dancing wildly in the wind, crushing the thunder with a series of BOOMS.

’Damn it, isn’t this Xingtian guy a little too badass?’ Hong Yu’s eyebrows twitched.

’A lightning tribulation! This is the same kind of tribulation I’ll have to face after the Primordial Spirit Realm. Countless Primordial Spirit Realm powerhouses have died under the Celestial Thunder because they couldn’t withstand it. If I had Xingtian’s power to overcome tribulations, wouldn’t I be invincible when I reach the Primordial Spirit Realm?’

’Huh? I wonder if Xingtian can help me block the Celestial Thunder when I face my own tribulation in the future?’ An idea flashed through Hong Yu’s mind.

But it didn’t last long. His eyes widened in disbelief, and he was left speechless.

After annihilating the first wave of the tribulation, Xingtian let out a furious roar, soared into the sky, and charged straight into the tribulation cloud.

"ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!"

Lightning flashed wildly within the tribulation cloud.

Xingtian’s roars echoed through the air. He moved as if in an empty realm, letting the tribulation bolts strike his body as if they were merely tickling him.

At a certain moment...

Xingtian let out a great roar, opened his mouth, and took a deep breath.

The tribulation cloud, which could blast a Primordial Embryo Realm powerhouse to smithereens, was actually swallowed by him in one gulp?

BURP!

Xingtian floated in the air, let out a satisfied burp, and exhaled a puff of thick smoke.

The corner of Hong Yu’s eye twitched. "..." He looked up at the sky, utterly speechless.

SWOOSH!

Xingtian flickered and appeared before Hong Yu. A strange light—or perhaps, an emotional fluctuation—had appeared in his dull gray eyes.

’Hmm? Has his soul awakened?’ Hong Yu’s heart stirred.

"Master!"

Xingtian spoke slowly, his gaze clear and resolute.

Hong Yu smiled slightly. "Congratulations, Xingtian. You’ve finally awakened your soul!"

"This is all thanks to Master’s help in my advancement!" Xingtian said with a deadpan expression.

His soul had only just begun to awaken, so he couldn’t yet show the rich range of expressions a normal person could.

Hong Yu laughed heartily and patted Xingtian’s sturdy shoulders. Looking at the burly, broad-shouldered Xingtian, Hong Yu felt a wave of emotion. "Xingtian, from now on, just call me Big Brother! Don’t call me Master anymore. I don’t like that title!"

"Mas—"

Xingtian hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "B-Big... Brother!"

"Hahaha, good, good!"

Hong Yu laughed brightly and took the cultivation technique for the Five Yin Demon Prison from his Storage Ring, handing it to Xingtian. "You’ve just passed your tribulation to become a Third-Tribulation Execution Corpse, so you’re not yet proficient with many of your abilities. Go back to the space inside the tower and ask Little One for help. At the same time, cultivate this Five Yin Demon Prison!"

"Okay, Big Brother!"

Xingtian nodded earnestly, put away the Five Yin Demon Prison, and returned to the space inside the tower.

Glancing at the twenty thousand corpses that had been reduced to withered bones after the Soul-Refining Blood Pool was gone, Hong Yu let out a long breath, planning to bury the site under sand dunes before leaving.

Suddenly, he noticed about twenty young boys and girls huddled in a corner, trembling and watching him with terrified eyes.

’There are survivors?’ Hong Yu paused, then stepped forward to greet them.

"D-don’t be afraid. H-he’s our benefactor. He killed the enemy for us," said a slightly older girl.

The group of youths behind her finally quieted down, but their gazes toward Hong Yu were still filled with wariness.

Hong Yu sighed softly.

’Their entire clan was killed right in front of them, and in such a gruesome way. No wonder these little ones are acting like this.’

Hong Yu smiled at the slightly older girl. "Little sister, do you have any other relatives?"

"N-no."

The little girl hesitated for a moment, then said, "Big brother, can you take us to Frozen City?"

"Frozen City?"

Hong Yu was taken aback.

The little girl nodded but didn’t say why.

Hong Yu didn’t press the matter and nodded. "Alright, I’ll take you there."

Then, Hong Yu led the twenty to thirty youths out of the basin-like dunes. With a world-shaking Palm Gang strike, a series of BOOMS erupted, kicking up billowing clouds of sand that buried the Soul-Refining Blood Pool beneath the dunes.

With a group of twenty to thirty people, their travel speed was obviously much slower.

It wasn’t until the fifth day that they arrived at Frozen City. There was a fee to enter the city, so Hong Yu had the little ones wait by the gate while he went to the registration office.

He didn’t notice, however, that not long after he left, another group of people had set their sights on these twenty to thirty young boys and girls...