Immortal Martial Emperor

A sky-blotting cloud of blood hung in the air, vast and mighty, as if a world-devastating demon had escaped from the Nine Netherworld Territory.

The entire Liger Ravine was thrown into chaos and turmoil...

Mountains shattered, and countless boulders tumbled from the broken peaks, gouging gruesome scars into the earth. The ground trembled, fissures spreading across it like a spiderweb. From deep within the ancient forests, innumerable birds and beasts fled for their lives!

The entire Liger Ravine had become a veritable apocalyptic scene of Heaven-Shattering, Earth-Splitting destruction.

RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

The area where Hong Yu and the others stood was flat and some distance from the depths of Liger Ravine, so they were largely unaffected.

But the trembling earth and the terrifying sights all around them still filled everyone with an indescribable shock.

And a deep sense of unease!

’What on earth happened in Liger Ravine?’

Among the crowd...

Hong Yu frowned, his eyes flickering with unease as he gazed into the depths of Liger Ravine. He murmured, "Could the mansion of that Primordial Core Realm expert have appeared?"

As if to confirm Hong Yu’s speculation, the heavily injured Third Master suddenly burst into wild laughter, roaring, "Hahaha, they did it! The Boss and the others succeeded! You brats from the Cyan Nether Sword Sect are too late, hahaha... This Primordial Core Realm expert’s mansion will belong to our Mountain Opening Tiger Thief Gang! No one can take it from us!"

"What?"

"There’s a Primordial Core Realm expert’s mansion here?"

"No wonder these thieves stayed here! Damn, that’s a mansion from a Primordial Core Realm expert! If I could get inside and obtain even a tiny bit of the inheritance, it would be enough for me to soar to success!"

Everyone understood the principle that men die in pursuit of wealth as birds die in pursuit of food.

However, when truly faced with the temptation of wealth and benefits, few could remain true to themselves; more or less, they would still be driven by greed!

Shi Tao glanced at Dongfang Lang and Duan Hong and said in a low voice, "What do you two think?"

Duan Hong and Dongfang Lang exchanged a glance. Both were eager to make a move, but it was clear they were wary of the apocalyptic scene in Liger Ravine.

Shi Tao gritted his teeth and said coaxingly, "You two, you saw how powerful Ling Tian is. With our current level of talent, we’ll definitely be left further and further in his dust. Even that Hong Yu is starting to surpass us... As they say, fortune is found in danger. This Primordial Core Realm expert’s mansion is a huge opportunity!"

Duan Hong and Dongfang Lang shuddered.

They were both arrogant geniuses who thought the world of themselves, looking down on everyone else.

But...

After what had just happened, they had to admit that both Ling Tian and Hong Yu were already leaving them in the dust. For a genius Martial Artist, this feeling was the most shameful and hateful thing imaginable, something they absolutely could not tolerate.

Naturally, swayed by Shi Tao’s words, the two of them gritted their teeth. "Alright, let’s do it!"

The three of them followed the growing stream of people rushing toward the depths of Liger Ravine.

The Second Commander helped the Third Master to his feet. A sinister, cold look was plastered on his scarred face. "Ling Tian, just you wait. I will repay today’s humiliation a hundred times over." As he was leaving, the Third Master shot a venomous glare at Hong Yu. "And you, kid. You can also wait for the frenzied revenge of the Mountain Opening Tiger Thief Gang!"

Hong Yu: "..."

After a moment of silence, he couldn’t help but ask, "Why didn’t you kill him?"

Ling Tian paused, a trace of arrogance and disdain in his voice. "He’s merely someone I’ve already defeated. Wouldn’t killing him just dirty my hands?"

"Alright, you’re something else."

Hong Yu opened his mouth, finding that was all he could say.

’This Ling Tian seemed ice-cold, but he was actually a show-off—the smoldering, introverted type!’

It was just that he seemed to disdain socializing, so to outsiders, he was a total enigma—the type who could live with you his whole life and never say an extra word.

After a moment’s thought, Hong Yu asked, "Wanna go take a look?"

Ling Tian froze, asking strangely, "Are you asking me out?"

"..."

Hong Yu rolled his eyes. ’Dude, you know people could take that the wrong way, right?’ he thought.

But seeing as Ling Tian didn’t seem good at socializing, he just nodded and said, "You could say that!"

Ling Tian looked Hong Yu up and down. After a long moment, he finally nodded and said something that made a herd of ten thousand mythical beasts stampede through Hong Yu’s mind: "Your strength is too weak, and you seem to have made many enemies. It won’t be safe over there. Finding a strong protector at a time like this is indeed a good choice. Very well, I’ll be your protector for the time being!"

’Hong Yu wanted to cry but had no tears. ’Protector? Protector, my ass!’’

A frustrated Hong Yu, a cool-faced Ling Tian.

This somewhat bizarre pair of oddballs finally joined forces, running shoulder to shoulder toward the depths of Liger Ravine.

......

Liger Valley.

This was the core area of Liger Ravine. Legend had it that long ago, this place was a plain. But one day, two powerful Desolate Beasts descended and fought a great battle here, creating the rugged terrain. One beast was the Heaven-Devouring Tiger, and the other was the Heaven-Swallowing Lion. Hence, the place was named "Liger Ravine"!

Of course, no one could verify if this was truly the case.

But none of that mattered. At this moment, more and more experts had gathered around Liger Valley. Thousands of fervent eyes were all fixed on the center of the valley.

In the great valley, sunk a hundred meters into the ground, a massive palace was slowly rising from beneath the earth.

This enormous palace had clearly been buried deep beneath the earth of Liger Ravine by someone with immense power.

With each stage of its ascent, it shed countless clumps of mud and dust.

The palace had already risen to a height of fifty meters, yet its base was still nowhere in sight. Everyone held their breath, waiting.

The wait was destined to be a long one.

The great palace’s ascent lasted for a full half-hour. Finally, a three-hundred-meter-tall subterranean marvel stood completely revealed before the crowd.

Among the crowd, Hong Yu stared at the towering structure before him and swallowed hard. ’Good heavens... How on earth did the Primordial Core Realm expert who built this mansion manage to stuff this thing underground?’

"It wasn’t stuffed."

Ling Tian explained in a stiff tone, "If I’m not mistaken, the Primordial Core Realm expert who built this mansion must have been highly proficient in the Path of Earth. I’ve heard that once a Martial Artist condenses a Primordial Core, they can control the powers of heaven and earth. Some control the power of Thunder, some control the power of flame..."

"Uh..."

Hong Yu blinked, staring dumbfounded at the motor-mouthed Ling Tian.

’He suddenly realized that after this brief interaction, the mysterious impression he had of Ling Tian had completely crumbled!’

’Behind this guy’s silence and cold facade was the heart of a nerd and a chatterbox!’

"Hong Yu, do you now understand how he hid this mansion underground?" Ling Tian paused, his face rigid, and continued, "Of course, if you still don’t get it, I can give you a more detailed explanation..."

Hong Yu quickly waved his hands. "N-No, that’s not necessary! I get it!"

Only then did Ling Tian nod in satisfaction.

Hong Yu wanted to cry but had no tears.

’How do I always end up meeting such weirdos?’

’Never mind that ridiculously strong glutton, Feng Xue Xin. And now this guy, who’s supposed to be an incomparably cold Celestial Pride Son, reveals his true colors after talking to me for a bit. He’s a total know-it-all and a world-class chatterbox!’

Sighing, Hong Yu felt utterly dejected.

CLANG!

A dull, heavy sound echoed throughout the valley.

The three-hundred-meter-tall mansion trembled violently, shaking off the remaining dirt clinging to its structure. Soon, the mud-caked palace revealed its true form: an entirely black, tower-like building.

The building had five floors, each over sixty meters high, giving it a strangely eerie appearance.

The dull, heavy sound just now had come from the great doors at its base opening.

The two doors shimmered with a black light, exuding a sense of metallic weight. They were forged from Sinking Iron, one of the heaviest metals in existence. These two panels, three meters high and two meters wide, weighed a full fifty tons. That was why they made such a thunderous noise when they opened.

Like muffled thunder!

VMMMM!

A soft, five-colored radiance shot out from within the great doors.

SWOOSH!

A ten-meter-tall black stone stele shot out from the doors, landing heavily on the open ground in front of the towering building.

The moment the heavy stele landed, nearly half of it sank into the ground.

SHING!

A layer of blood-red light glowed on the stele’s surface. The light flashed and then receded, finally solidifying into three large, blood-red words branded upon the stone. The calligraphy was wild and powerful, like dragons in flight, and the words exuded an ancient, profound aura. They read—Eight Desolates Mansion!

"This mansion is called Eight Desolates Mansion?"

"I know! This is the mansion of Yang Lie, the Eight Desolates Old Demon, a powerhouse at the Peak of the Primordial Core Realm who once dominated the Southern Ten Nations."

"You’re saying this is the mansion of the Eight Desolates Old Demon, Yang Lie? That’s impossible, isn’t it? Back when the Eight Desolates Old Demon roamed our Southern Ten Nations, he was completely invincible. He left the Southern Ten Nations later on, but we never heard anything about him leaving a mansion behind!"

"There’s no mistake, this must be the Eight Desolates Old Demon’s mansion!"

"My heavens! If this really is the Eight Desolates Old Demon’s mansion, then his legacy must be inside. I’ve heard that the Eight Desolates Old Demon possessed a Supreme Body Cultivation Technique, and more importantly, he was a master at cultivating Spirit Medicines. Who knows, there might be precious Spirit Medicines he planted inside the Eight Desolates Mansion!"

As the buzzing discussions revealed the true identity of the Eight Desolates Mansion, the thousands of pairs of eyes staring at it grew fiery hot.

Whether it was the legacy of the Eight Desolates Old Demon, or the possible Spirit Medicines, Spirit Pills, Cultivation Techniques, and other Treasures within, it was all enough to make them fight to the death.

But at this moment, not a single person made a move.

They were all wary—wary of each other, and wary of a predator waiting in the wings. But of course, what they feared most were the two figures standing in the valley...

The First and Second Masters of the Mountain Opening Tiger Thief Gang!

Especially the First Master, the Mountain Opening Tiger himself, Ding Yuanshan. His presence was like a towering mountain, and no one dared to overstep their bounds in the slightest.

After staring at the Eight Desolates Mansion for a long time, Ding Yuanshan’s expression grew thoughtful, and he slowly turned around. His tiger-like eyes seemed to pierce the void, gazing at a distant, barren peak. His deep voice was like the roar of a hungry tiger. His tone seemed casual, yet it made the listeners’ qi and blood stir restlessly. "Friend, since you’ve come all this way, why hide? If you’re interested in the Eight Desolates Mansion, you might as well come out and we can discuss it face-to-face!"

Hearing this, everyone was startled.

They all looked in the direction the Mountain Opening Tiger was indicating. Gazing at the bare mountain, most of them wore looks of confusion...

’Isn’t it completely empty over there?’

’Where did a person come from?’