Immortal Martial Emperor

The Cyan Nether Mountain Range stretched for thousands of kilometers.

Like a ferocious cyan dragon, it snaked across the land—vast and magnificent. It was a famous gathering place for Spiritual Qi in the Southern Ten Nations.

At this very moment, the entire Cyan Nether Mountain Range was trembling.

It felt as if a great cyan dragon were writhing, shaking the very earth and mountains.

BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ!

Nine fiery red pillars of light shot out consecutively from within the Cyan Nether Sword Sect.

They soared toward the heavens, piercing the nine skies and connecting the sky and earth.

As the nine heaven-piercing pillars of light appeared, a phantom Flame Demon God materialized in midair. It was immense, standing a full three thousand meters tall.

The Flame Demon God uttered abstruse syllables that no one could understand.

"Hami molasuo..."

Amidst the strange incantations, seven or eight mountain peaks, each at least a thousand meters high, suddenly swooped in from the surroundings.

They gathered before the Flame Demon God.

Under the Flame Demon God’s control, the peaks slammed into one another without losing any speed, crashing and fusing together to form an even taller, larger mountain.

With a great BOOM, the newly-formed mountain settled upon the earth.

The land quaked and the mountains trembled!

SWOOSH!

The Flame Demon God swiped its palm.

The massive, merged peak was cleaved in half at its waist. Its upper portion shattered, turning into streams of molten lava that flowed down along the fused seams.

Once the lava cooled, it solidified into a single, cohesive structure.

"Is this the Celestial Fire Spirit Burning Array?"

Feng Xue Xin’s shocked voice came from behind.

Hong Yu paused. "Senior Brother Feng, you recognize this Array?"

"I do."

Feng Xue Xin nodded, his eyes filled with horror. "I once heard our master mention it. The founding ancestor of our Cyan Nether Sword Sect, the Sword Demon Elder, established the sect in the Cyan Nether Mountain Range precisely because these mountains are an ancient ruin."

"These ancient ruins contain many things that far surpass our current civilization and technology. For example, this Celestial Fire Spirit Burning Array is a powerful Ancient Array."

Feng Xue Xin swallowed hard, a bitter look in his eyes. "For the several hundred years since our Cyan Nether Sword Sect was founded, every generation has studied and excavated the Treasures from these ancient ruins. The Celestial Fire Spirit Burning Array was discovered long ago, but no one could ever activate it. To think that Wang Jiankun has actually mastered the method to open it..."

The Ancient Era!

A legendary age of unparalleled splendor and prosperity.

According to legend, that era had countless monumental powerhouses, including a great many in the Venerable Realm.

However, after a great cataclysm, the peak of the Ancient Era was no more.

But across the Cyan Cloud Continent, ruins, Cultivation Techniques, and even Ancient Primordial Weapons from the Ancient Era were still discovered from time to time.

Regardless of what was found, anything associated with the words ’Ancient Times’ possessed a power that modern treasures could hardly match.

"What does Wang Jiankun intend to do by activating this Array?" Hong Yu’s gaze darkened as he looked toward the Cyan Nether Sword Sect.

Ziyan Ancestor had already carried the heavily wounded and unconscious Zhui Yang Ancestor into the Cyan Nether Sword Sect’s territory.

Wang Jiankun took out two Spirit Pills that glinted with golden light.

Ziyan Ancestor froze, his eyes wide with shock. "This is..."

Wang Jiankun nodded. "The Fifth-grade Healing Spirit Pills His Highness had me bring. For any powerhouse below the Primordial Embryo Realm, as long as a single breath remains, they can make a full recovery within half an hour!"

HISS!

Ziyan Ancestor sucked in a sharp breath.

Fifth-Grade Spirit Pills! Such Pills were precious even in the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom, let alone the Southern Ten Nations.

For Hai Cangtian to offer two of them so casually once again made Ziyan Ancestor feel the profound resources of the Four Ancient Kingdoms!

He took one for himself and gave the other to Zhui Yang Ancestor, then immediately sat down to meditate and regulate his breathing.

Wang Jiankun ordered his men to act as Guardians for the two, while he himself walked to the edge of the Celestial Fire Spirit Burning Array. He raised his chin slightly, squinting as he stared at Hong Yu in the sky.

After seeing the miserable state of Zhui Yang Ancestor and Ziyan Ancestor, his resolve to eliminate Hong Yu only hardened.

"Hong Yu, Feng Xue Xin, you two traitors to the Sword Sect actually have the nerve to come back?" Wang Jiankun sneered.

Hong Yu snorted coldly. "Wang Jiankun, you scum of the Sword Sect, willing to be Lord Owl’s puppet."

"Hahaha! Everything I do is for the strength of the Sword Sect! Lord Owl has the power to make the Sword Sect stronger than ever before, so naturally, I must cooperate with him. You, on the other hand, have repeatedly ruined the sect’s opportunities for greatness. You are the real sinners of the Sword Sect!"

Wang Jiankun’s venomous gaze locked onto the two of them. "Hong Yu, Feng Xue Xin, I have a gift for you!"

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

Wang Jiankun clapped his hands lightly.

As the crisp sound of clapping echoed, a line of figures appeared in Hong Yu’s and the others’ sight. Their hands and feet were bound by special Profound Iron Chains, and heavy Pipa Locks were pierced through their scapulae.

These people looked utterly Haggard.

Some couldn’t even walk and had to be supported by others just to keep moving forward.

There were about three thousand people in the group.

These were all powerhouses from the Wind and Snow Association, loyal to Feng Xue Xin, and also included figures like Elder Bai of White Cloud Peak and Elder Li.

However...

Their scapulae had all been pierced, and they were fitted with vicious Pipa Locks that sealed their cultivation.

Forget resisting; even simple daily movements were an immense struggle.

From within the crowd, an old man with white hair, a white beard, and a wizened face walked forward slowly, supported by several experts.

Though his cultivation was sealed, his posture was not the least bit stooped.

This man was none other than Hong Yu’s master—Elder Bai of White Cloud Peak!

Beside Elder Bai was Luoo Xiaoguai, the aloof former Chief Disciple. Dressed in a black gown, her slender body was also laden with iron chains.

A Pipa Lock pierced each of her delicate shoulders, and dripping blood had stained a large patch of her clothes red.

"Elder Bai, look..." Luoo Xiaoguai’s weak face was pale and bloodless.

She suddenly nudged Elder Bai.

Elder Bai lifted his eyelids to look at the sky, and his steps suddenly halted. "Hong... Hong Yu?"

In the air, Hong Yu and Feng Xue Xin’s eyes nearly split with rage.

Luoo Xiaoguai and Feng Xue Xin were childhood sweethearts; each valued the other’s life more than their own.

Seeing Luoo Xiaoguai in such a wretched state, how could Feng Xue Xin not be furious? How could he not be heartbroken? How could he not be in agony?

The same went for Hong Yu!

Elder Bai had not only recognized Hong Yu’s potential as his master, but he had also saved his life.

Now, seeing his once high-spirited master reduced to a prisoner...

A master who had suffered the agony of having his scapulae pierced, his cultivation all but destroyed—how could Hong Yu possibly remain calm?

"WANG! JIAN! KUN!"

Hong Yu roared through gritted teeth, spitting out each word.

Under Hong Yu’s bloodshot gaze, Wang Jiankun shuddered. Fear and apprehension flickered in his eyes.

He no longer dared to treat Hong Yu as the reckless brat he once was.

This was a bringer of death who had survived an assassination attempt by three great powerhouses, including Zhui Yang Ancestor, and had then hunted down Zhui Yang and Ziyan Ancestor to the brink of death!

But...

The thought that he was inside the Celestial Fire Spirit Burning Array—and more importantly, had Hai Cangtian backing him—made him straighten his spine a little.

He chuckled coldly and waved his arm. "Send all these Sword Sect traitors to the Spirit Burning Platform!"

"Yes, sir!"

A group of Cyan Nether Sword Sect experts escorted Elder Bai and the others onto the Spirit Burning Platform.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Under Wang Jiankun’s control, streams of red light surged from the hands of the Fire God Illusion.

Each stream of light corresponded to one person, coiling around the three thousand-plus powerhouses like fiery serpents.

These small, flaming snakes slithered across their bodies.

Everywhere they passed, they left a bone-chilling heat, as if they would bite down at the slightest provocation and burn their victims to ash from the inside out.

Wang Jiankun stared at Hong Yu with cold eyes and a vicious grin. "Oh, Hong Yu. I know you wish you could tear me to pieces. I also know you’re very strong now, the number one True Dragon, no less. But what can you do to me?"

With a sinister laugh, he continued, "Look at all these people. There must be some you don’t recognize, right? No matter, I’ve prepared another gift for you!"

Wang Jiankun smiled coldly. With a wave of his hand, another group of people was brought out.

If the experts from the Wind and Snow Association were treated as powerhouses whose cultivation was merely sealed, then this new group was treated in a humiliating manner, like livestock.

Every single one of them was forced to crawl on the ground.

Chains were fastened around their necks, held by Cyan Nether Sword Sect experts who cracked whips and lashed them viciously.

They were herded forward like animals, forced to crawl in misery and humiliation.

"Th-These are people from the Hong Family?"

Hong Yu gasped.

At that moment, many of the Hong Family members spotted Hong Yu. As if seeing their last lifeline, they all began to cry for help. "Hong Yu, save us...!"

"Young Master Yu, we’re family after all! Please, save us!"

"Young Master Yu, you’re a noble True Dragon Genius! You must have a way to save us..."

"That bastard Hong Renjie is an animal! He tortures his own kin! Young Master Yu, if you save us, we’ll make you the Patriarch...!"

Faced with the Hong Family’s pleas and cries for help, Hong Yu took a deep breath.

He didn’t say much.

But a vein was already throbbing between his brows, and a grim chill emanated from him.

’Even though I don’t respect anyone in the Hong Family besides Third Elder, we still share the same surname. Humiliating them like this is the same as humiliating me, isn’t it?’

Hong Yu took another deep breath. "Wang Jiankun, what exactly do you want?"

Wang Jiankun cracked a sinister smile. "Naturally, I don’t want to do anything to these wastes... Hong Yu, as long as you hand over the Treasure Lord Owl spoke of, I will let them go. Otherwise, I will use the Celestial Fire Spirit Burning Array to burn their Souls to cinders, one by one!"

Hearing that Wang Jiankun wanted Hong Yu to trade some Treasure for them,

the Hong Family members’ tone changed once again. "Young Master Yu, please, just give him the thing!"

"That’s right, Young Master Yu! We’re all innocent!"

But Hong Yu turned a deaf ear.

Seeing this...

The Hong Family’s tone changed yet again.

"Hong Yu, you ungrateful wretch! The family gave you so many resources to help you achieve what you have today, and now you’re just going to ignore whether we live or die? Are you even human?"

"You animal, Hong Yu! If you don’t hand over the item and save our lives, I’ll haunt you as a ghost!"

"That’s right! Hong Yu, you’re too selfish! We’re your clansmen!"

Listening to their shameless words,

Hong Yu’s gaze gradually turned ice-cold. He let out a slow breath and shook his head slightly. "Do you truly deserve the name Hong?"

That one simple sentence left the members of the Hong Family speechless.

Hong Yu then turned his gaze to Wang Jiankun and said flatly...

"Wang Jiankun, I’ll also give you three breaths to consider whether you really want to force me to fight you to the death!"

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

When Hong Yu shouted the last number, the entire Cyan Nether Mountain Range fell silent. Only Wang Jiankun’s grim voice broke the quiet...