Immortal Martial Emperor

"An Unparalleled Genius?"

Hong Yu’s expression grew taut as he stared intently.

Just how strong was an Unparalleled Genius?

One could get a glimpse of their power from Xiahuang Shang’s strength alone. With his level of combat prowess, Hong Yu knew he was no match for him.

However...

Xiahuang Shang could only rank second among the Ten Great Celestial Prodigies.

Although his talent was undisputed, his years of cultivation weren’t particularly long. The one ranked first was the Eldest Prince, Xiahuang Zun!

He was already twenty-nine years old.

But regardless, the power of an Unparalleled Genius was beyond question!

Hong Yu’s voice deepened. "Which Unparalleled Genius is going to make a move?"

"More than one!"

Xiahuang Shang gave a wry smile. "According to my intelligence, one we can be sure of is Bai Luoxue from the White Tiger Duchy. You must not underestimate him. His strength is immense, and he’s ranked third among the Ten Great Unparalleled Prodigies. Furthermore, he was born with a Mutated Primordial Vein and eventually comprehended Mutation Mysteries. Even I would have to expend considerable effort to defeat him."

"Bai Luoxue?"

Hong Yu narrowed his eyes.

His mind couldn’t help but recall his encounter with the White Tiger Duchy at sea. During his battle with Zhang Weilong, he had sensed a trace of hostility from a small, bobbing boat.

If he wasn’t mistaken, Bai Luoxue must have been on it.

’Judging from that faint, almost imperceptible gaze alone, Bai Luoxue’s strength must be earth-shattering. I’m no match for him right now. Unless I can break through in my cultivation, or train my Great Destruction Fist to the Second Layer, I Alone Exist in Heaven and Earth, I won’t be able to compete.’

Hong Yu calculated his odds.

He knew that if he were to face Bai Luoxue, he would most likely end up suffering a bitter defeat.

Hong Yu continued to ask, "Besides Bai Luoxue, who else is there?"

"Besides him, the only other one we know for certain is an Unparalleled Genius from the Blood Killing Tower, hired by Hai Cangtian for a great sum. This person’s background is a mystery. Everything about them is mysterious; no one even knows if they are male or female."

Xiahuang Shang’s face was full of bitterness, and a trace of fear flickered in his eyes. "Bai Luoxue is strong, but he’s incredibly arrogant and will only choose to crush his enemies head-on. The one from the Blood Killing Tower, however... you must be especially careful of them. They will stop at nothing to achieve their goals."

"The Blood Killing Tower?"

Hong Yu rubbed his nose.

He recalled his time back in the Qin Kingdom, when Beichen Celestial Frost’s vicious sister-in-law had hired an assassin from the Blood Killing Tower to kill him.

He vaguely remembered an assassin named Blood the First.

He was hailed as the most talented King of Assassins in the Southern Ten Nations, but I sent him flying with a single slap, utterly ruining his reputation. He disappeared without a trace after that.

Although he hadn’t suffered much from the Blood Killing Tower’s assassination attempts back then...

...Hong Yu still had a deep impression of their endless assassination techniques.

"Brother Hong, these two... one is incredibly strong, the other is mysterious and unpredictable. But at least they are known threats. You just need to be extra careful, avoid crossing paths with them, or stay by my side to prevent unnecessary fights. But..."

Xiahuang Shang’s expression became incredibly grave. He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Hai Cangtian also hired another Unparalleled Genius, but I have no idea who it is. We don’t know if this person is friend or foe. Anyone you come into contact with could be the one trying to harm you. People’s hearts are hard to fathom, so you must be careful!"

Hong Yu nodded.

He rubbed his brow in frustration, feeling rather helpless.

He had already prepared himself for numerous bitter battles during his trip to the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom. He knew he would have to face countless experts and prodigies, a task akin to crossing a single-plank bridge in the midst of a ten-thousand-man army.

But...

He never expected to face so many powerful enemies the moment he arrived in the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom!

Never mind having offended Xiahuang Dun and Zhang Weilong before; now, three Unparalleled Geniuses had appeared, all wanting him dead.

This gave Hong Yu quite a headache. ’Strength, strength! If I had the power of an Unparalleled Genius, why would I fear them?’

At this thought, Hong Yu asked, "Brother Xiahuang, I want to know just how strong an Unparalleled Genius truly is!"

"Hm?"

Xiahuang Shang was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Follow me!"

Xiahuang Shang led Hong Yu to a secret room in the house. They passed through a long, narrow tunnel and arrived at a massive fighting arena.

The arena was magnificent, over three hundred meters high and capable of holding a hundred thousand people.

The entire arena was covered in the marks of battle.

It was riddled with scars.

Xiahuang Shang said, "This is where I usually cultivate and practice my Martial Skills. It’s located three thousand meters underground, so most experts won’t be able to detect any fighting here. We can go all out. Besides, I’m also curious to see how much your strength has improved over the past year."

"Alright!"

Hong Yu took a deep breath, and the Divine Demon Wings on his back suddenly stirred.

His figure flashed forward, whistling through the air like a bolt of black lightning.

"What a Body Technique!"

Xiahuang Shang’s eyes lit up with admiration.

"Watch out!"

He immediately swung one hand out horizontally.

His fists came smashing down like heavy mountain peaks.

"KRAK!"

The punch slammed heavily into the ground, a dull impact echoing throughout the arena. The force was great enough to flatten a thousand-foot mountain.

"BOOM!"

Hong Yu took a deep breath, and the Heaven-Devouring Demon Elephant suddenly appeared behind him.

"ROAR!"

The Heaven-Devouring Demon Elephant was incredibly domineering. Even as a mere Mystical Illusion, it possessed a power that made one’s heart tremble.

Its eyes glowed with a cold, ghostly light, containing the terrifying Profound Mysteries that wavered between life and death. It could stir the soul; those with weaker cultivation would become entranced just by looking into its eyes, leaving themselves at its mercy.

"What a domineering Mystical Illusion! Brother Hong, it seems you truly haven’t slacked off this past year. You must have had some unparalleled fortuitous encounters!" Xiahuang Shang clicked his tongue in admiration, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

Now, he was beginning to understand why his Imperial Father had told him to befriend Hong Yu at all costs!

Although Hong Yu’s current strength was still not great enough, he was already showing a glimmer of his extraordinary potential.

Xiahuang Shang was certain that if Hong Yu was allowed to develop, he would inevitably become a titan!

The Heaven-Devouring Demon Elephant stomped its four hooves, standing tall behind Hong Yu. The young man stared at Xiahuang Shang. "Brother Xiahuang, let me see the true strength of an Unparalleled Genius!"

"As you wish!"

Xiahuang Shang burst into laughter.

Without warning, his hair stood on end. His golden robes billowed out, swirling brilliantly as his imposing momentum surged.

"THUMP!"

A tyrannical wave of energy surged forth.

Behind Xiahuang Shang, a massive, hundred-meter-tall golden bell slowly materialized.

The great bell was wreathed in roiling clouds.

Nine ferocious, Five-clawed Golden Dragons, their bodies glowing with golden light, coiled all over it, riding the clouds and mist, creating an inexplicably stunning sight.

In the sharp Dragon Claws of each Golden Dragon, an expert was being held captive.

They were dripping with blood, their faces contorted in gruesome death.

Hong Yu recognized this bell. It was the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom’s National Treasure Divine Artifact, the Xiahuang Bell!

This was no longer a Mystical Illusion, but a true Mystical Dharma Aspect.

’So this is a Mystical Dharma Aspect? The ability one gains after truly stepping into the Primordial Spirit Realm?’ Hong Yu’s eyes filled with soaring battle intent.

The heart-trembling might surging from the Xiahuang Bell made his blood boil.

"Fight!"

Hong Yu let out a low roar.

The Heaven-Devouring Demon Elephant behind him seemed to sense its master’s surging battle intent and also let out a deep bellow.

"BOOM!"

Great Destruction Fist, First Technique: Heaven and Earth Have Me.

Since he wanted to understand the gap between himself and an Unparalleled Genius, Hong Yu naturally wouldn’t hold anything back.

Nine rays of light converged on his arm, merging one after another into the phantom of a fist that created a vacuum. Within it, Hong Yu seemed to be seated, the overlord of heaven and earth.

In this heaven and earth, there was only him and no other!

"RUMBLE!"

Under the impact of the fist’s phantom, the entire arena began to shake.

The Heaven-Devouring Demon Elephant roared, its massive trunk lunging forward like the body of a Flood Dragon and merging with the fist phantom, causing its power to surge once more.

"A good strike!"

Xiahuang Shang’s eyes showed his excitement.

He rarely got to make a move himself these days. After all, a man’s reputation precedes him.

As a powerful Unparalleled Genius, the number of experts who dared to fight him could be counted on one hand.

"Brother Hong, this move of mine is equivalent to a full-power strike from the tenth-ranked Unparalleled Genius. See for yourself just how strong it is!"

Xiahuang Shang slowly raised a hand.

The Mystical Dharma Aspect behind him, the Xiahuang Bell, slowly shrank to the size of a fist and shot out with a swing of Xiahuang Shang’s arm.

"BUZZ!"

The shrunken Xiahuang Bell flew forward slowly.

It seemed tiny and not very fast, but the faint golden light coiling around the small bell gave one a sense of foreboding.

Hong Yu’s gaze focused. He took a deep breath as blue light surged wildly in his left eye, trying to see through to its essence.

Finally...

"BOOM!"

The Great Destruction Fist collided with the small bell.

Crushed!

It was crushed without a shred of suspense!

The Great Destruction Fist, powerful enough to obliterate an ordinary Early-stage Primordial Spirit Realm expert with a single punch, completely crumbled and dissipated under the small bell’s impact. The small bell continued its flight.

"Block it!"

Hong Yu roared in fury.

The Heaven-Devouring Demon Elephant behind him charged out with monstrous strength, kicking out with immense force.

However...

Faced with the giant Heaven-Devouring Demon Elephant’s strike, the small bell merely trembled with a "BUZZ BUZZ".

Hong Yu suddenly felt his head spin.

It was an instinctive reaction from his body, stimulated by the excessively powerful vibrations.

"BANG!"

Hong Yu was sent flying backward, slamming heavily against the wall.

He wasn’t injured, but his Heart Spirit was violently shaken.

Staring at the small bell as it returned to Xiahuang Shang’s body, he said in a low voice, "So this is the strength of an Unparalleled Genius? So strong... so strong it makes you feel helpless, makes you feel despair."

Xiahuang Shang walked over and said calmly, "The Ten Great Unparalleled Prodigies are indeed all very strong, but you shouldn’t sell yourself short. That punch of yours just now was actually extremely powerful, possessing the combat power of someone in the top thirty of the Unparalleled True Dragon rankings."

As he spoke, a look of amazement appeared in Xiahuang Shang’s eyes. "It’s truly hard to imagine. A year ago, your combat power would have ranked in the top eight thousand of the War Dragon rankings at best. In just one short year, you’ve grown to the top thirty of the Unparalleled True Dragon rankings. Such a terrifying rate of improvement is simply unbelievable!"

Hong Yu smiled and said, "Brother Xiahuang, I’d like to stay here and think for a while."

"Alright. Take this token. It will grant you free access to the Prince’s Mansion!" Xiahuang Shang tossed a token to Hong Yu.

Hong Yu caught it, sat down cross-legged, and fell into deep thought.

The exchange with Xiahuang Shang had made him understand the gap between himself and an Unparalleled Genius even more clearly.

Although he did have the ability to fight an Unparalleled Genius if he went all out, it would only be against the weakest of them. Not to mention others, Bai Luoxue alone was on par with Xiahuang Shang. If he were to face him, his death would be all but certain.

’There’s not much time left for me. What on earth should I do?’

Hong Yu racked his brain.

A day passed just like that. On the second day, Hong Yu, who was sitting in meditation, suddenly opened his eyes...

’It seems this is the only way!’