Immortal Martial Emperor

Anger flickered in Xiahuang Shang’s cold eyes. "Hai Cangtian, do you have any idea what you’re doing?"

He was the most favored Prince of the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom and the leading figure among the princes of his generation.

Xiahuang Shang understood perfectly well how important every true genius was to the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom.

The Southern Border Holy Assembly was held once every hundred years, and the Five Domains Holy Assembly was held only once every millennium.

The Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom had managed to stand strong for millennia because it had once secured a top-ten position in the Five Domains Holy Assembly. Since that achievement, however, the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom had never been able to replicate its past glory.

And yet, that single top-ten finish was enough to establish the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom as one of the four great powers of the Southern Border Profound Domain!

One could only imagine the importance of the Five Domains Holy Assembly to any top-tier power.

It was precisely for this reason that when the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom learned Hai Cangtian had been sent to a backwater region like the Southern Ten Nations to act as an Inspector, they had taken drastic measures. They had forcibly awakened Xiahuang Shang from his secluded cultivation and dispatched him to the Southern Ten Nations.

Initially, Xiahuang Shang’s entire focus had been on monitoring Hai Cangtian.

As for the so-called geniuses of the Southern Ten Nations, he hadn’t given them a second thought.

After all...

To a Fifth Heaven Demon Fiend like him, a mere Yao Yueye was truly not worthy of his attention!

That was until Hong Yu appeared. This person, originally as insignificant as an ant, a being he had almost overlooked like a grain of sand, had somehow managed to turn the tables step by step.

He had created one miracle after another!

On the Path of Heart Refinement, he had surpassed Yao Yueye with a dominant display that stunned everyone, becoming the most dazzling first-place victor!

If being the first to pass the Path of Heart Refinement had merely made Xiahuang Shang acknowledge Hong Yu’s insight...

...enough to earn a second glance, like a slightly stronger ant.

...then things changed when Hong Yu killed Prince Zhui Ri and several True Dragon Powerhouses. His sheer dominance left all the older-generation powerhouses of the Southern Ten Nations dumbfounded, leading them to believe he was a First-Transformation Heavenly True Dragon Demon Fiend comparable to Yao Yueye.

At that point, Xiahuang Shang finally began to take Hong Yu seriously.

He even secretly dispatched men to gather intelligence on Hong Yu. Xiahuang Shang discovered that the miracles Hong Yu had wrought were far more numerous and fantastical than he had known.

His journey was so astounding it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him divinely gifted!

He had risen from obscurity, advancing from the Essence Realm to his current cultivation in the Primordial Core Realm in just under two years.

To someone like Xiahuang Shang, this cultivation speed wasn’t exceptional. However, considering the resources and innate talent Hong Yu possessed, this rate of advancement, combined with the strength he displayed, was more than enough to make Xiahuang Shang take him seriously!

He felt a trace of interest, even anticipation!

Without even realizing it...

Xiahuang Shang found himself anticipating whether Hong Yu could create another miracle.

Xiahuang Shang even saw a familiar shadow in Hong Yu. That person’s innate talent also hadn’t been strong, but he had always managed to break through and improve continuously. Now, although that person’s strength was still inferior to his own, he already had the power to challenge for a spot in the top one hundred.

Given more time, he might even reach the top fifty of the Southern Border Holy Assembly, or perhaps an even higher Level.

Every spot in the top one hundred of the Southern Border Holy Assembly was crucial for the Four Ancient Kingdoms.

It was for this reason that he had hesitated when deciding who should receive the final two Spiritual Plates.

The Fallen Tower was a feature common to every Land of Trial. It was both a place of reward and the final round of elimination before the ultimate rankings were decided!

Inside this Fallen Tower, the Inspectors from each faction would control and distribute the Spiritual Plates in their possession. Each Spiritual Plate represented the projection of a powerhouse’s avatar.

The last two Spiritual Plates he held were a projection of an avatar at the Peak of Primordial Core Realm, and another of a powerhouse at the Early-stage Primordial Embryo Realm.

These avatar projections were not from ordinary powerhouses; even the weakest possessed talent at the First Transformation Heavenly True Dragon Level.

For powerhouses with the same Level of talent, once a gap in cultivation appeared, the difference in their combat power would become extremely obvious.

Xiahuang Shang’s initial plan had been to give the Early-stage Primordial Embryo Realm Spiritual Plate to Yao Yueye and the Peak of Primordial Core Realm Spiritual Plate to Hong Yu. This would have been the perfect pairing to temper them both.

But now...

Hai Cangtian had actually assigned the Spiritual Plate of the Early-stage Primordial Embryo Realm powerhouse to Hong Yu. This meant Hong Yu’s opponent would be an Early-stage Primordial Embryo Realm powerhouse, which was far beyond his limit.

Facing a Primordial Embryo Realm Powerhouse, Hong Yu had only one path: death!

Hai Cangtian waved his hand dismissively and said lightly, "No need for such a big reaction, is there? He’s just a piece of First Heaven Transformation trash. If he dies, he dies. Why get so worked up?"

"Shut your mouth! And stop playing dumb with me. Can’t you see that Hong Yu’s potential is no weaker than Yao Yueye’s?" Xiahuang Shang roared.

Hai Cangtian spread his hands. "Oh, my. You hold him in such high regard? My apologies, my hand just slipped. If he dies, I’ll just compensate you a little, won’t I? Hmm, given the kid’s worth, a million Gold Coins should be enough, right?"

Staring at the brazen Hai Cangtian, Xiahuang Shang glared, but in the end, he could only let out a cold snort.

Hai Cangtian represented the Ancient Sea Kingdom.

Given his status, if anything were to happen to him, it could even spark a war between their two kingdoms.

"You had better hope Hong Yu makes it out of this unscathed!" Xiahuang Shang snorted coldly.

Hai Cangtian shrugged, a look of indifference on his face.

What no one noticed was the cold, sinister glint in Hai Cangtian’s eyes, his heart filled with the glee of a successful plot. ’The projection of an Early-stage Primordial Embryo Realm powerhouse should be more than enough to kill that brat, right? Once he’s dead, I’ll head straight to the Space Teleportation Gate and snatch his corpse.’

Hai Cangtian looked at Xiahuang Shang with mocking eyes. ’This idiot. Don’t you know that the Treasures on Hong Yu’s body are the most valuable things? And you’re still foolishly protecting him? Idiot...’

...

「Inside the Fallen Tower.」

Hong Yu walked down a long, narrow passageway.

The passageway was incredibly long and pitch-dark, with no end in sight.

CLACK, CLACK, CLACK!

The crisp sound of his footsteps echoed through the passage.

A sense of loneliness filled his heart, sending a chill down his spine. He felt as if someone was following him from behind.

’What exactly is this Fallen Tower? Why do they say it’s a place of both opportunity and danger? Does this Fallen Tower hold some kind of secret?’

As he was wondering, a bright flash of light suddenly appeared at the end of the passage ahead.

Hong Yu narrowed his eyes and walked toward the exit.

A short while later...

The scene before him changed completely. The passageway had opened into a vast, domed hall.

In the center of the hall stood a lone, raised platform.

A pillar of golden light shot up to the dome, pouring into the platform where a benevolent-looking old man with a full white beard, dressed in white robes, sat quietly in meditation.

The old man’s body flickered between transparent and solid.

The expression on his face was gentle and kind.

But...

His every move, even the twitch of an eyelid or the sway of his long beard, carried a peculiar resonance.

"You have come!"

An ancient voice came from the old man’s mouth.

He slowly opened his eyes...

Golden light flared in his left eye, like a golden Thunder Beast stomping its hooves. Red flames soared in his right eye, like a Phoenix spreading its wings in flight.

The moment he opened his eyes, the white-robed old man’s entire aura underwent an earth-shattering change.

His benevolence and kindness vanished without a trace.

In its place was pure fury—the wild fury of extreme lightning and the violent blaze of scorching fire!

"This junior, Hong Yu, greets Senior!" Hong Yu said respectfully.

"Mm."

The white-robed elder nodded, then said indifferently, "I am the Thunder Fire True Monarch, one of the Celestial Supervisors of the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom. In this Fallen Tower, I have been assigned as your opponent. If you wish to pass this place, you must defeat this Thunderfire avatar of mine. Otherwise, your only options are to forfeit the assessment or die in battle!"

’Thunder Fire True Monarch? Celestial Supervisor?’

Hong Yu blinked.

He had never heard of either of those titles.

But judging by the names alone, he could tell this old fellow calling himself the Thunder Fire True Monarch was definitely not weak.

Especially that pair of eyes representing thunder, lightning, and fire—they made Hong Yu’s heart pound with dread.

If he had a choice, Hong Yu would a million times over not want to fight the Thunder Fire True Monarch.

But...

For the sake of seeing his father, his mother, and Yaoyao again, he absolutely could not give up.

Hong Yu pondered for a moment before speaking. "Senior, this junior has heard that there are opportunities hidden within the Fallen Tower. But so far, all Senior has shown me is despair and a life-threatening crisis. I wonder, where is this opportunity?"

The Thunder Fire True Monarch narrowed his eyes, the thunder and fire within them flaring wildly. He said faintly, "Your opponent is me, and you’re still thinking about seizing an opportunity? Hahaha, fine. If I don’t tell you, I imagine a little fellow like you won’t be satisfied. Then I shall tell you..."

"The so-called opportunity is..."

As the Thunder Fire True Monarch explained, Hong Yu gradually began to understand.

Inside the Fallen Tower, everyone would encounter an opponent.

Anyone who could defeat their opponent would receive a reward—it could be a legacy, a Martial Skill, a Cultivation Technique, a Pill Recipe, or even a treasure map...

In every past session, quite a few lucky individuals had obtained corresponding benefits in the Fallen Tower.

And had risen to prominence because of it!

Such examples were not uncommon!

Of course...

Since the Fallen Tower was named "Fallen," it naturally would not be without death.

The vast majority of people couldn’t resist the temptation and attempted to challenge targets beyond their limits. They ultimately failed, their bodies and souls perishing, dying with eternal regret in the Yellow Springs.

"If you can pass, there are naturally immense benefits."

The Thunder Fire True Monarch said lightly, "I have a Secret Skill in my possession called the "Thunderfire Heaven-Breaking Finger". It is a Celestial-Level Martial Skill. If you can defeat this avatar projection of mine, the "Thunderfire Heaven-Breaking Finger" will naturally be yours. If you cannot... hehe, I will not show any mercy!"

Facing the Thunder Fire True Monarch’s disdain, Hong Yu’s thoughts were a tangled mess.

A Celestial-Level Martial Skill was indeed precious, but it wasn’t enough to make Hong Yu risk his life for it.

However...

He had a reason why he had to pass this trial!

Even without any reward, he had to face this challenge and succeed!

Because of the dream of a family reunion in his heart.

At this thought, Hong Yu took a deep breath. "Senior Thunder Fire True Monarch, this junior still intends to try!"

’To see my parents and family sooner, so what if my opponent is a Primordial Embryo Realm Powerhouse?’

[Two Chapters are done. Starting with four updates tomorrow!]