Immortal Martial Emperor

’This is trouble!’

The corners of Hong Yu’s mouth twitched as a bitter taste flooded his mouth.

Behind him...

Ding Zhentian had already scrambled back to his feet. His expression was as dark as a thundercloud as he let out a wild, unrestrained laugh. "HAHAHA, Hong Yu! This is what they call digging your own grave! You actually dared to devour my Five Yin Demonic Intent? I bet you don’t even have half your peak strength left, do you?"

"Hehehe," he cackled. "My Five Yin Demonic Intent is saturated with intense killing aura and resentment. Not even your Eight Desolates Dominating Body can refine it that easily."

Ding Zhentian continued venomously, his gaze sweeping over the experts who were gradually closing in on them. He shouted, "Everyone, Hong Yu has been corrupted by my Five Yin Demonic Intent! He has less than half his strength left. This is the perfect time to kill him!"

SHUSH, SHUSH, SHUSH!

The sound of movement rustled through the bushes.

There were no fewer than a hundred of these experts.

All of them had been lured by the exorbitant bounty, hunting for any trace of Hong Yu within the Illusionary Forest.

However, the Illusionary Forest was filled with countless traps and dangers.

Even though these people were all geniuses and experts in their own right, they had been unable to find Hong Yu with any speed.

The only thing guiding them was the trace left behind when Zhui Yang Old Monster’s Three-legged Fiery Firebird True Martial Arts Intent dissipated. Following it, the first large contingent had finally arrived.

Of course.

Had it not been for Ding Zhentian’s interference, Hong Yu would have been long gone, and finding him would have taken them a great deal more effort.

But now...

Hong Yu had wasted too much time fighting Ding Zhentian, allowing these experts to surround him.

’Anyone who can pass the Path of Heart Refinement must be strong. It seems my chances of survival are slim,’ Hong Yu thought, his face grim and his heart burning with frustration.

’If it weren’t for Ding Zhentian’s meddling, I wouldn’t be in this predicament!’

But regret was useless now.

A glint in his eye, Hong Yu decided to seize the initiative.

He had to carve a bloody path out before these experts could completely seal off his escape!

He snorted and forced his Primordial Gang Fighting Technique to circulate, bolstering his presence. His aura surged, majestic and powerful, showing no hint of his weakened state.

His cold gaze swept over the crowd as he spoke icily, "Even the True Dragon Genius, Prince Zhui Ri, died by my hand. If any of you think you’re stronger than him, then step up and try your luck!"

HISS!

His words were met with a collective sharp intake of breath.

Many in the crowd faltered, their expressions turning hesitant as they slowed their advance.

Until now, they hadn’t understood why Zhui Yang Old Monster had been so enraged that he would issue such an exorbitant bounty for Hong Yu’s capture.

Now, it all made sense.

Hong Yu had killed Prince Zhui Ri.

After all, Prince Zhui Ri was not only Zhui Yang Old Monster’s biological grandson but also the Crown Prince of the Wind Chasing Kingdom. That Hong Yu’s killing of the prince had provoked such a massive bounty from the old monster—that was the only thing that made sense!

"Prince Zhui Ri was the second-ranked True Dragon, second in power only to Yao Yueye. If Hong Yu actually managed to kill him, then this bounty won’t be so easy to claim!"

"It’s not worth dying for a bounty!"

"Maybe we should just stay out of this mess."

Many of them were already having second thoughts.

Ding Zhentian gritted his teeth as he watched, silently cursing, ’A bunch of useless trash.’

However, he knew he couldn’t afford to lose their support at this critical moment.

His eyes darted about before he shouted again, "Don’t let him fool you! Think about it—if he were really at his peak, why would he need to boast about killing Prince Zhui Ri? He’s just bluffing! With all of us together, even Yao Yueye wouldn’t be able to escape unscathed!"

"This is our only chance to claim that incredible bounty! If we let him escape and recover, we’ll never get another opportunity!"

As the old saying goes: great rewards make for brave men!

And money can make even ghosts work for you!

These men had been drawn here by the exorbitant bounty in the first place. They had only considered retreating because of Hong Yu’s intimidating presence. But now, under Ding Zhentian’s constant goading, the greed in their hearts began to fester and grow again.

"Damn it! Fortune is found in peril! I’m going for it!"

"We’re not going to get a True Dragon Position anyway, so we might as well risk it all on this. Once we kill him, we’ll figure out how to split the bounty!"

"Since we all have the same goal, let’s make our move!"

The hundred experts bristled with killing intent, their eyes glinting with a cold, murderous light as they stared down Hong Yu.

Facing over a hundred experts who were furiously determined to kill him, Hong Yu took a deep breath. A cold, desperate light flickered in his eyes. "Since you’re all so intent on forcing my hand, so determined to take my life, then don’t blame me for what I’m about to do!"

WHOOSH!

He gripped the Godslaying Spear tightly.

A golden light flashed around his body, and a terrifying, cold glint danced in his eyes.

Although seventy percent of his Elemental Power Cultivation was sealed away to suppress the Five Yin Demonic Intent.

But Hong Yu could still use his three great True Martial Arts Intents. Furthermore, he still had the powerful physique granted by the Eight Desolates Saint Slaying Technique, his formidable Spiritual Power, and the Flying Thunder Divine Skill.

He was still a force to be reckoned with!

"Kill!"

"Kill him and that incredible bounty is ours!"

"Hong Yu, surrender quietly and we’ll grant you a swift death! Otherwise, blades have no eyes. It’d be a shame if we made you suffer a fate worse than death..."

The sight of over a hundred experts charging forward at once was immense.

Each expert’s Primordial Vein had a different attribute: blazing red flames, freezing blue light, verdant spiritual wood...

A kaleidoscope of Elemental Powers surged through the forest. Figures blurred and weaved together as a dazzling, overwhelming storm of attacks rained down on Hong Yu from all directions.

With a cold shout, Hong Yu thrust his long spear through the air, using no Elemental Power at all.

It was a strike of pure, physical force.

The first to meet his charge was an expert at the Late-stage Celestial Soul Realm. Seeing that Hong Yu wasn’t even using Elemental Power, the man was both delighted and infuriated. "Damn you, Hong Yu! You dare face me without using Elemental Power? You’re looking down on me too much!"

With a furious roar, the man crossed his twin sabers.

"Cyan Wood Cross Slash!"

As he slashed down, two blades of energy materialized, looking like slender tree trunks as they shot straight for Hong Yu’s chest.

A cold, electric light flashed in Hong Yu’s eyes as he let out a low roar. "Get lost!"

The Godslaying Spear shot forward. Executing the Wind Rider technique with his feet, his speed instantly tripled.

This tripling of speed created a miraculous, decisive gap in timing.

Just as he brushed past the saber energy, the Godslaying Spear plunged through the chest of the Late-stage Celestial Soul Realm expert with a sickening SQUELCH. A fountain of blood erupted, drenching one side of Hong Yu’s body in red.

One hand gripping the Godslaying Spear, he didn’t slow his charge in the slightest.

The Celestial Soul Realm expert was already dead, his chest torn to shreds.

A look of utter disbelief was frozen in his eyes.

Hong Yu felt not a shred of pity.

Since these people were determined to kill him, they would have to pay the price for their greed. Men die in pursuit of wealth, just as birds die in pursuit of food—it was an immutable law of the world.

SWISH!

With a flick of his wrist, Hong Yu spun the Godslaying Spear. The sharp Spear Aura churned, and the formidable Celestial Soul Realm expert’s chest burst open. His body was ripped in two. With a flick of his Godslaying Spear, Hong Yu scooped up the two long sabers that had fallen to the ground, catching them in his left hand.

Spear in his right hand, sabers in his left!

Drenched in the acrid stench of blood, Hong Yu’s steps boomed like rolling thunder. Wherever he went, not a single expert standing in his way could withstand even one of his attacks!

His long spear arced through the air, and in a single sweep, the heads of three experts simultaneously exploded.

His left hand followed suit, the sabers a dazzling blur as they sliced through the void.

SPLURT! SPLURT! SPLURT!

As the sound of tearing flesh rang out three times, three headless corpses were hacked to pieces.

Bits of red and white matter splattered across the ground.

Hong Yu stepped forward, his steps booming like thunder, and with a burst from his Thunder Step, he stomped a severed head into pulp.

By now, Hong Yu had carved a bloody path forward, leaving a trail of carnage in his wake.

The ground was stained red with blood, its acrid stench thick enough to make one gag. To his left and right were nothing but mangled, blood-soaked corpses.

Of the hundred-strong mob, over thirty now lay dead at Hong Yu’s hands.

He was truly killing a man with every ten steps, leaving a trail of devastation.

"Who else dares to stop me? Step forward!"

With a cold shout, Hong Yu swung his Godslaying Spear.

The shaft trembled, flinging off a shower of blood.

The blades of the sabers in his left hand were already covered in a dense series of notches—cracks formed from cleaving through hard bone and clashing with other weapons.

Blood trickled down his arm, flowed over the hilts, and ran down the length of the blades...

DRIP.

A single drop of blood fell into a growing pool on the ground.

THUMP. THUMP.

Hong Yu continued to advance. One step, two steps, three steps...

With every step he took, the dozens of experts before him retreated in unison, as if by some unspoken agreement. Every gaze that fell upon him was filled with awe and terror.

They were all killers themselves, with more than a few lives on their hands.

But...

Their own battles were usually about simply killing an opponent or deciding a victor. When had they ever witnessed such savage brutality?

Decapitation wasn’t enough; he had to hack their bodies to pieces?

"Demon! Hong Yu, you’re a demon..."

"You bloodthirsty butcher! You’ve killed so many people! Aren’t you afraid of retribution?"

"Everyone, we have to work together! We must slay this demon! We can’t let him leave this place and become a scourge upon the world!"

The remaining dozens of men shouted and clamored, condemning Hong Yu.

Yet not a single one of them dared to be the first to advance.

Hong Yu’s cold, sharp gaze swept across them as he let out a piercing, mocking laugh. "Trash. A bunch of pathetic, sanctimonious trash. Weren’t you all going to kill me? Weren’t you going to trade my life for that incredible bounty? Weren’t you just screaming that I’m a Demon, that I’m an Asura?"

"HAHAHA! Since you’re all so righteous and noble, then come on! If you have the guts, come and kill me!"

"What the hell kind of cowards are you, hiding back there?"

"Come on! I dare you! Come and kill me!"

Hong Yu roared hysterically, his eyes shot through with red.

He had been pushed again and again, driven to the brink of death time after time, and not once had anyone ever spoken a word in his defense. Not once had anyone stepped forward to help.

And yet now...

...these very people who wanted to trade his head for Treasure and bounties had the gall to stand there and righteously condemn him as a butcher, a Demon?

How could Hong Yu possibly tolerate it?

"You bunch of hypocrites! What are you good for, other than spouting grand principles to make yourselves look good while covering up your own filthy deeds?"

Hong Yu suddenly accelerated.

Spear in one hand, sabers in the other.

Seething with killing intent, he was like an immortal Godslayer emerging from the Nine Netherworld!

Gazing upon the Godslayer-like Hong Yu, the men who had just been shouting so boldly were now terrified out of their wits. They lost all courage to face even a single one of his attacks, and instead threw down their weapons and fled for their lives in a pathetic rout.

Only, at the very back of the crowd...

...a young man clad in beast hides stood as still and silent as a mountain peak. The moment his eyes fell on Hong Yu, an unprecedented fighting spirit erupted within them!