Immortal Martial Emperor

"Hong Yu, do you dare to fight me?"

The voice was chilling, yet it boomed like a sudden clap of thunder.

Guo Fei’s figure slowly emerged from the crowd. A chilling smile curled his lips, making one as uneasy as if they were facing a venomous snake.

Throughout the Cyan Nether Sword Sect, the one word most often used to describe him was "forbearance"!

Ever since being defeated by Hong Renjie and demoted to the Outer Sect, Guo Fei had laid low for several years, training relentlessly. A full three years passed. During that time, he gave up multiple opportunities to return to the Inner Sect, always holding back. His goal was to one day return in the most triumphant and arrogant manner possible.

In his heart, Guo Fei didn’t resent Hong Renjie. Instead, he saw him as a whetstone.

He would defeat Hong Renjie and return to the Inner Sect in triumph.

Only then could the inner demon in Guo Fei’s heart be completely vanquished.

Otherwise, Hong Renjie would forever remain a Heart Demon hindering his cultivation.

This was Guo Fei, a man of immense forbearance. He could endure for years to avenge his past humiliation, never once showing his dissatisfaction or anger. Even when the Heaven and Earth Alliance asked him to help suppress Hong Yu, he spared no effort. He always kept that obsession with avenging his defeat locked away in his heart.

And now, at this very moment, he finally erupted!

In his eyes, Hong Renjie had to be at his absolute best when he was defeated. Otherwise, his own obsessive conviction could never reach a state of Perfection.

That was why, upon discovering that Hong Yu intended to challenge Hong Renjie, Guo Fei had no choice but to step forward first.

He sneered at Hong Yu and repeated his question for a second time: "Hong Yu, do you dare to fight me?"

Hong Yu took a deep breath, staring intently at Guo Fei.

Strictly speaking, his grudge with Guo Fei had originated with Liu Liyun and Gao Zijie.

They had not only stolen his credit but had also beaten and harassed Liu Liyun and Gao Zijie. Hong Yu didn’t easily let people in, but once he did, he cherished them and would never allow anyone to harm them. Just as he would never allow anyone to harm Yun Mengyao.

Family and friends—they were all Hong Yu’s cherished bonds, his Reversed Scale!

He stared at Guo Fei. "Bring it on!"

"Good, good, good. You actually have the courage to accept my challenge. I have to admire you for that. However, I won’t go easy on you just because I admire your courage."

Guo Fei walked onto the platform as he spoke, a cold glint in his eyes, as if he were sizing up a corpse. "The last time you injured my brother, I told you that sooner or later, I would personally cripple you to avenge him. I remember you crippled both of his hands. I’m a man who believes in an eye for an eye, so today, I’ll cripple both of yours!"

"You talk too much. If you want to fight, then fight!"

Hong Yu snorted coldly.

Guo Fei’s expression hardened. "In such a hurry to die? Then I’ll oblige you!" he barked.

With that, a powerful surge of energy erupted from Guo Fei’s body.

The energy rose from his feet, coiling around his body in layers and whipping up a powerful whirlwind that buffeted the area.

BOOM!

A ring of black energy swirled around him.

His black hair danced though there was no wind, and his robes whipped about. Guo Fei’s eyes were like two brilliant stars in a dark, empty sky—profound and bright, yet so deep that one could not grasp their true expression. A single glance seemed enough to silence one’s very Heart Spirit.

"Secret Technique—Dark Demon Dog!"

Guo Fei let out a low roar. The black energy around him condensed in mid-air, forming a three-headed Demon Dog over three meters long in front of him.

The Demon Dog was pitch-black from head to tail. Its three heads were each the size of a man’s, with cavernous maws full of terrifying tusks. It stared at Hong Yu, radiating killing intent. Its front claws scraped restlessly at the ground. The hard platform, durable enough to withstand the attacks of a Celestial Soul Realm expert, screeched under the Dark Demon Dog’s sharp claws, sending sparks flying with a piercing SCREEECH.

ROAR!

The Dark Demon Dog kicked violently off the ground and shot forward.

Its massive claws slashed down toward Hong Yu’s head.

Hong Yu sneered. Holding his spear in one hand, he spun, stirring up a violent storm. His Power of Flame Primordial Spirit condensed into the shape of a raging fire dragon, which coiled around the Dark Demon Dog’s claws. A flash of Spear Aura appeared, and the Fire Dragon suddenly constricted, shattering the Dark Demon Dog’s claws with a BOOM.

ROAR!

The Dark Demon Dog felt no pain.

The ferocious head on the left whipped around and opened its maw, spewing a torrent of fire like a volcanic eruption.

"Begone!"

Golden light flowed over Hong Yu’s body as he pushed the Eight Desolates Saint Slaying Technique to its limit. He condensed his Power of Primordial Spirit at his side, forming a Flame Elemental Shield. With a sudden SWISH of his arm, he batted the torrent of fire away. The flames changed direction and slammed into the side of the platform.

Flames erupted with a BOOM, leaving a scorched patch on the platform.

SWISH!

The head on the right suddenly opened its maw.

A ray of ice-blue light condensed, forming an Ice Arrow that shot forth.

The Ice Arrow was terrifying. It shot toward Hong Yu, carrying a chilling aura so cold it seemed to freeze the very air.

Before it even reached him, Hong Yu felt a bone-chilling cold pierce his body.

"Void Fire Dragon!"

Hong Yu condensed a Fire Dragon in his palm and thrust it forward.

The roaring Fire Dragon instantly coiled around the Ice Arrow.

A piercing HISS filled the air as a white mist rose, turning into a hazy cloud of steam.

ROAR!

The Dark Demon Dog’s three heads opened their maws simultaneously.

Chilling ice light, scorching fire light, and a ray of black light shot out from the middle head. The three energies—blue, red, and black—intertwined, condensed, and merged, forming a tri-colored sphere of energy. The five-meter-wide sphere pulsed with vast and terrifying power, emitting waves of energy that made one’s heart palpitate.

As it surged forward, the platform—strong enough to withstand the attacks of a Celestial Soul Realm expert—began to tremble violently, as if it was about to reach its breaking point.

’A fusion attack of Ice, Fire, and Darkness energy? So this is the strange amplification that happens when you fuse the Power of Primordial Spirit of different attributes!’

A cyan light flashed in Hong Yu’s left eye.

He stopped holding back. His Wandering Dragon Body Technique had already reached the Realm of Perfection. His feet touched the ground, but his body moved like a Wandering Dragon.

Wherever he passed, he left a long trail of afterimages behind him.

"Vast Sea of Fire!"

He struck out with a palm, and flames shot to the sky.

From within the sea of fire, Fire Dragons rose one after another. Their claws tore and their bodies coiled, relentlessly bombarding the massive sphere of energy.

Just as the sphere was about to strike Hong Yu, it was overwhelmed by the Vast Sea of Fire and finally exploded with a deafening BOOM. The sphere’s detonation clashed violently with the energy of the fiery sea, creating a Heaven- and Earth-penetrating roar as a mushroom cloud shot toward the sky.

The vast mushroom cloud towered over fifty meters high.

Auras of Ice, Fire, and Darkness exploded within, as if thunderbolts and serpents of lightning were roaring inside the cloud.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!

A fierce gale howled and swept out.

Fortunately, the Cyan Nether Sword Sect had long ago set up a Defensive Array around the platform, preventing the energy from spreading and destroying the surrounding buildings.

Li Tie’s expression grew taut. He muttered, "Guo Fei’s strength has actually reached this level? The Unjust Death Black Lotus truly is a supreme treasure for the cultivation of Dark Attribute Martial Artists. It’s just... Dark Attribute Martial Artists are incredibly rare. In the several-hundred-year history of our Cyan Nether Sword Sect, Guo Fei is the only one. With the Unjust Death Black Lotus in hand, his potential and strength are no less than Hong Renjie’s or Feng Xue Xin’s!"

His gaze swept past Guo Fei to the mushroom cloud. He couldn’t see Hong Yu within it, but he could sense his presence there.

His expression held a trace of confusion and hesitation. ’Hong Yu, just how far can you really go? Old Bai holds you in such high esteem, but based on your True Martial Arts Intent alone, you don’t seem to be worthy of such high praise!’

At the thought of the mysterious Elder Bai, a trace of heartfelt reverence appeared in Li Tie’s expression.

... ... ... ...

SWISH!

From within the mushroom cloud, a brilliant Spear Aura suddenly shot out.

It flashed by, arriving in an instant.

The Breaking Army Spear pierced straight through the Dark Demon Dog’s head. The Demon Dog shrieked as cracks spiderwebbed out from the point of impact between its brows. In the blink of an eye, the cracks covered its entire body before it exploded violently, dissolving into specks of black light.

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

A burst of crisp applause sounded.

Guo Fei gazed at Hong Yu, a detached, cold smile on his face. "Impressive. Truly impressive! To break my Secret Technique with a mere Mid-Stage Earth Soul Realm Cultivation... Hong Yu, your talent is enough to make me jealous. However, in today’s battle, your defeat is still certain!"

Guo Fei took a deep breath.

He crossed his hands before his chest, his expression solemn and grave. He spoke softly, "Come forth... Un... just... Death... Black... Lotus..."

His voice was immense. As the words fell, black light gathered, coalescing into a black lotus, about the size of an infant, before his chest.

This Black Lotus was exceedingly strange.

Each petal bore strange and obscure Runes. Some of these Runes looked like tadpoles, others resembled dragon patterns, and some even looked like crooked chicken scratch. Black light flowed over every Rune, emitting an aura of death and bone-chilling cold.

In the audience seats...

Some of the experts weaker than the Earth Soul Realm instantly felt a BUZZING in their minds the moment they saw the Black Lotus.

It was as if a Demonic Sound was enveloping their body and soul, and an aura of despair filled their hearts.

Some of the experts with weaker minds and Souls even clutched their heads and began to wail...

"I deserve to die! I’m guilty! I deserve to die..."

"SOB... Kill me... I shouldn’t be alive in this world... kill me..."

Experts wailed one after another, clutching their heads and crying, repenting and blaming themselves. It was a tragic scene, like an Asura Hell. Li Tie’s expression changed drastically. "Damn it! The Unjust Death Black Lotus is this powerful? No wonder it’s ranked among the top 100 evil artifacts. This won’t do. I have to intervene, or those people will kill themselves."

Li Tie snorted. Manipulating the Array, he released a vast wave of pressure that directly knocked unconscious the experts in the audience seats who had lost their mental composure.

Countless people gasped in shock at this scene.

"What in the world is that Black Lotus? It just appeared and it’s already driven so many people insane."

"What a terrifying Black Lotus... With something so sinister, does Hong Yu even stand a chance?"

"That Black Lotus is so malevolent. Hong Yu is almost certainly doomed to fail."

The crowd chattered amongst themselves.

Little did they know...

Yet Hong Yu, who bore the full brunt of the Unjust Death Black Lotus, remained perfectly calm. With the mental fortitude he had gained from passing the trial of the Heart Path, the lotus was not nearly enough to disturb his state of mind so easily.

However, deep within his Profound Celestial Tower, Xingtian, who had kept his eyes closed all this time, suddenly opened them. A flash of fiery desire crossed his otherwise emotionless eyes...

[End of today’s five-Chapter update. Three Chapters for today’s release, and two to make up for yesterday’s. My promise has been kept!]