Immortal Martial Emperor

"Hong Yu, do you really think you’re untouchable?"

The calm voice carried a supreme majesty, vast and mighty like a thunderous roar that shook the very sky.

The moment this voice sounded, the Desolate Beast mounts of the Tiger and Wolf Corps, which had just been invincible and sweeping all before them, began to tremble. They prostrated themselves on the ground, their eyes filled with terror and dread.

Clearly, the sudden arrival of this powerhouse had terrified the Desolate Beasts, with their keen Perception.

"Tiger and Wolf Corps, assemble!"

Admiral Zhou Wang roared.

He raised a strange, sharp sword high in his hand. The moment this sword appeared, a bizarre ripple of energy spread out—one that not even Old Sir Tie, who had just advanced to the Primordial Embryo Realm, could detect.

As this ring of energy passed over them, the Desolate Beasts that had been cowering on the ground shakily rose to their feet, reforming their neat ranks to stand guard before Hong Yu.

The Tiger and Wolf Corps—the strongest and most loyal of armies!

Although the faces of every expert in the Tiger and Wolf Corps turned grim under the immense pressure, they all guarded Hong Yu without a single complaint.

"Young friend, this newcomer is extremely powerful. He might even be at the Late-stage Primordial Embryo Realm," Old Sir Tie said, his expression exceptionally grave.

Although he had advanced his cultivation to the Primordial Embryo Realm, he was only at the Initial Stage. Facing a Late-stage Primordial Embryo Realm expert was like a child facing an adult.

Hong Yu nodded, his eyes narrowing as he gazed into the depths of the Cyan Nether Sword Sect.

He wasn’t particularly surprised by the appearance of this powerhouse.

BOOM!

Energy surged like a tide.

A domineering figure that seemed to dwarf the world slowly emerged from within the Cyan Nether Sword Sect.

He strolled forward as if taking a leisurely walk in a garden.

The mountain of corpses and Sea of Blood before him seemed to part, pushed aside by an invisible force.

His arrival was like that of a divine general, one of the Deities looking down upon all mortal beings.

Within his deep blue eyes, a light flickered like the waves of a vast ocean, carrying an immense oppressive force.

"Hai Cangtian. It really is you!"

Hong Yu said slowly, taking a deep breath.

In his initial analysis, Hong Yu hadn’t considered Hai Cangtian. For one, they had no direct conflict. For another, Hong Yu was the foremost True Dragon of the Southern Ten Nations and enjoyed the protection of the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom.

Hong Yu didn’t think that Hai Cangtian, a Prince of the Ancient Sea Kingdom, would move against him within the borders of the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom.

But as events unfolded, Hong Yu became more and more certain that Hai Cangtian was the mastermind behind it all.

Now, seeing Hai Cangtian actually appear in the Cyan Nether Sword Sect confirmed his suspicions.

Hai Cangtian glanced at the Tiger and Wolf Corps, then at the devastated experts of the Cyan Nether Sword Sect, and couldn’t help but sigh. "Just as I thought—a backwater sect from some forgotten corner. You used your entire Sect’s strength against a piece of trash at the First Heaven Transformation and still made such a mess. In the end, I still have to step in myself. What a disappointment."

"Your Highness Hai Cangtian, I beg you to strike and kill Hong Yu! I, Wang, am willing to lead the Cyan Nether Sword Sect to serve under you as your most loyal dog." Drenched in sweat, Wang Jiankun prostrated on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.

’That spear thrust from Hong Yu nearly took my life!’

Wang Jiankun knew very well that if he couldn’t cling to Hai Cangtian’s coattails, his end would be absolutely miserable.

Not only would Hong Yu refuse to spare him, but just for colluding with Hai Cangtian against a genius of the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom, he was guilty of treason—a capital offense!

Ziyan Ancestor also looked at Hai Cangtian, his expression bitter and helpless.

He had thought dealing with a mere Hong Yu would be a simple matter. He’d destroy the body, erase all traces, and no one would ever know he was involved. He never expected things to get this out of hand.

Now, so many people knew he had joined forces with Hai Cangtian against Hong Yu.

If the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom investigated this, not only him but the entire Ziyan Family would be destroyed.

Ziyan Ancestor looked to Hai Cangtian. "I, Ziyan, wish to pledge myself to you, Your Highness. I beg Prince Hai Cangtian to take me in!"

Hai Cangtian glanced at the two of them out of the corner of his eye.

The corners of his lips slowly curled into a cold, cruel arc. "A bunch of trash. What use would I have for you?"

A palm struck out.

A vast Palm Light materialized behind the two men. Before they could even react, it smashed into them with a BOOM, blasting them into chunks of flesh that splattered across the ground.

Such a ruthless move was even more ferocious and decisive than when Old Sir Tie had slapped the Zhui Yang Ancestor to death.

After eliminating two experts at the Peak of Primordial Core Realm without batting an eye, Hai Cangtian finally turned to Hong Yu. "Tsk, tsk. To think an ant like you would actually force my hand. Sigh. If we weren’t in the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom, which forbids me from bringing my Personal Guard Army, why would I have to trouble myself like this?"

He lamented, rubbing his brow with a vexed expression.

He strolled leisurely toward Hong Yu.

The fifty thousand soldiers of the Tiger and Wolf Corps surged forward with a CLANG of armor. Although Hai Cangtian’s terrifying power made them feel hopeless and weak, they still loyally stood guard around Hong Yu.

A look of disdain crossed Hai Cangtian’s face. "The strongest elite force of the Southern Ten Nations, the Tiger and Wolf Corps? Tsk, tsk. A single thousand-man squad from my Royal Guard could sweep you all aside. Scram if you don’t want to die!"

"We are under orders to protect the Prince Shoulder-to-shoulder! If you want to harm him, you’ll have to step over our dead bodies!" Zhou Wang shouted coldly.

Behind him, the fifty thousand experts of the Tiger and Wolf Corps roared in response.

Their cry shook the heavens, vast and mighty, like rolling thunder splitting the sky.

A flicker of surprise showed on Hai Cangtian’s face, but it vanished in an instant. He sneered, "Fools who court death."

With that, he thrust out a palm.

BOOM!

The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in the void twisted and condensed, instantly forming a massive palm of light that shot toward the Tiger and Wolf Corps with a WHOOSH.

"Tiger and Wolf Corps, hear my command! As long as you can still stand, you will not allow Lord Shoulder-to-shoulder to suffer a single scratch!" Zhou Wang roared.

"Yes, sir!"

"We swear to defend the Prince Shoulder-to-shoulder to the death!"

The fifty thousand experts of the Tiger and Wolf Corps shouted in unison and took a step forward, their clanking Battle Armor thick with Evil Qi.

An elite force like this could definitely sweep through the Southern Ten Nations.

Unfortunately...

This time they were facing Hai Cangtian, a Prince of the Ancient Sea Kingdom and a True Dragon Genius of the Fifth Heaven Realm.

As the giant palm of light tore through the air, all the Tiger and Wolf Corps experts in its path were violently thrown aside, their screams rising from all directions.

This single palm strike broke through their ranks like a hot knife through butter, piercing straight through more than half of the Tiger and Wolf Corps’ formation.

A path wide enough for a person was torn through the formation, splitting it in two.

No fewer than a thousand experts from the Tiger and Wolf Corps died from that one palm strike, and nearly ten thousand more were injured.

"Tiger and Wolf Corps, hear my command—"

Zhou Wang’s left arm was injured and bleeding profusely. He fought through the pain and roared.

Just as he was about to rally his troops, Hong Yu stopped him. "General Zhou, stand down!"

"Prince Shoulder-to-shoulder..."

Zhou Wang froze. Then, seeing the resolute look in Hong Yu’s eyes, he gritted his teeth, his face a mask of humiliation. "Tiger and Wolf Corps, fall back."

The once-invincible Tiger and Wolf Corps had been so utterly defeated by a single person.

This was a heavy blow to Zhou Wang.

The Tiger and Wolf Corps retreated to the side, their heads hanging in dejection. Hong Yu, however, stepped forward, flanked by Old Sir Tie, Tie Heng, and Beichen Ba.

Facing Hai Cangtian, Hong Yu took a deep breath and said calmly, "Your Highness Hai Cangtian, no matter how weak the Southern Ten Nations may be, we are still an allied nation of the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom! For you to act this way... isn’t this showing a bit too much disrespect for my Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom?"

Hai Cangtian grinned. "Of course I wouldn’t dare disrespect the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom. But it’ll be fine as long as they don’t find out, right?"

Beichen Ba, ever frank and outspoken, sneered, "With so many people here, you still think you can keep the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom from finding out?"

Hai Cangtian shot him a look. "What a naive thought! Do you really think numbers matter?" He rolled his eyes, his face full of confidence and arrogance. "As long as I leave all of you here, who will ever know it was me?"

"Leave all of us here? What a joke! There are more than three hundred thousand of us. You think you can keep us all here by yourself?" Beichen Ba said with a look of disbelief.

But Hong Yu’s brow was tightly furrowed.

He, however, didn’t think Hai Cangtian was bluffing.

"Hahaha! Don’t tell me you actually thought one at the Early-stage Primordial Embryo Realm, three at the Primordial Core Realm, and this bunch of riff-raff could stop me?"

Hai Cangtian laughed, his eyes narrowed. Then his gaze turned abruptly cold. "I’ll be honest with you. With your pathetic level of strength, you’re not even worthy of holding my chamber pot. To even think of stopping me... you’re like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot. You don’t know your own limits!"

Hai Cangtian’s cold eyes shifted, locking onto Hong Yu. "Hong Yu, you have one last chance to decide. Will you hand over the Treasure that Demon Owl tried to get from you? Or must I personally kill your friends one by one before taking it from you myself?"

"Demon Owl? So it was because of him. No wonder you’re targeting me."

It all clicked for Hong Yu.

Hai Cangtian, however, was unfazed. He sneered, "Make your choice!"

He crossed his arms arrogantly over his chest, lifted his chin slightly, and watched Hong Yu with a cold, haughty gaze.

Under that stare, Hong Yu took a deep breath but shook his head. "Sorry, I don’t know what Treasure you’re talking about. And even if I did, I would never hand it over to you!"

"Hah?"

Hai Cangtian raised an eyebrow and said sinisterly, "So you’re choosing to be the mantis trying to stop the chariot?"

Hong Yu nodded seriously. "The old saying goes that a mantis trying to stop a chariot overestimates its own strength. But I, Hong Yu, am the type of person who defies fate and doesn’t believe in old adages. So today, let me see if my ’mantis arms’ can actually stop your so-called ’great chariot’!"

"Good! Good! Good!"

Hai Cangtian suddenly laughed.

With a BOOM, an unbelievably powerful surge of energy erupted from his body.

A tyrannical Qi Vortex shot into the clouds, blasting outwards. Except for Hong Yu and Old Sir Tie, everyone was sent stumbling and staggering by the force of the blast.

Not even Beichen Ba and Tie Heng were exceptions.

At that moment, everyone finally understood just how powerful Hai Cangtian truly was!

The impact of his aura alone was something none of them could resist. If he were to truly fight, just how terrifying would his power be?

In that instant, even the wild and domineering Beichen Ba’s expression changed dramatically.

Everyone looked at Hong Yu, their faces filled with worry...

Old Sir Tie’s grave voice transmitted to him, "Young friend Hong Yu, you are no match for him. This old man will hold him off. You need to run."

Beichen Ba’s eyes flickered with uncertainty. "Hong Yu, you saved my life. You have to go. Help me take good care of Tianshuang. I’ll risk my life to buy you time to escape."

Tie Heng also took a deep breath. "The Iron Soldier Pavilion and the Prince Shoulder-to-shoulder share glory and ruin alike. Hong Yu, run!"

Almost everyone believed that Hong Yu was facing certain death against Hai Cangtian.

Even Beichen Tianshuang, who had blind faith in Hong Yu, bit her red lip and muttered to herself, "Brother Yu, don’t do anything stupid! Just go..."

However...

Under everyone’s anxious and disbelieving gazes, Hong Yu moved...

"Hai Cangtian, fight me!"