Immortal Martial Emperor

In Qin Royal City, the streets and alleys bustled with people coming and going!

The major taverns of Qin Royal City, in particular, were a cacophony of voices, with everyone discussing something.

"Hey, have you heard the news from the Guiyuan Sect?"

"You mean about Zheng Tian, the Guiyuan Sect’s number one genius, marrying the Third Princess?"

"Not just that. I also heard a rumor that Wang Fei has taken back control of the Beichen Commerce Association. And what’s more, Beichen Celestial Frost of the Beichen Family is going to marry Qi Tianbao of the Guiyuan Sect!"

"Are you kidding? Everyone knows Beichen Celestial Frost is famously cold and proud. How could she possibly marry Qi Tianbao?"

"That’s where you’re mistaken. I heard that after Wang Fei took control of the Beichen Commerce Association, she used Beichen Feng’s life to threaten Beichen Celestial Frost, forcing her to agree to marry Qi Tianbao."

"Their wedding is in half a month. After the ceremony, they’ll set out for the Yaoyue Kingdom to participate in the Southern Ten Nations martial tournament!"

The crowd whispered amongst themselves.

Some lamented the union of the Third Princess and Zheng Tian, seeing it as a sign of easing tensions between the Guiyuan Sect and the Royal Family.

Others pitied Beichen Celestial Frost’s fate and seethed with injustice, while some simply sighed at what a cruel world it truly was.

Back when Beichen Ba was at the peak of his power and the Beichen Commerce Association was second only to the Iron Soldier Pavilion, who would have dared to harm a single hair on Beichen Celestial Frost’s head?

But times had changed...

This fundamental shift had occurred in just a few short months.

It was a perfect illustration of how quickly fortunes can turn.

Meanwhile, inside King Qin’s Palace, Sister Qin, her face thin and drawn, stared with furious eyes at the young man before her. She seethed, "Zheng Tian, I never imagined you could be so despicable! Forcing my father the King to have me marry you in exchange for the Guiyuan Sect not challenging the Royal Family’s supremacy for a hundred years."

"Qin Qin, nothing you say can change the fact that you will marry me."

Zheng Tian stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his face a mask of arrogance and disdain.

His entire aura had become overwhelmingly dominant and sharp.

His cultivation had reached a new level!

"I know you prefer that little bastard Hong Yu. But he’s dead now, buried in the belly of the Thousand-Year Tai Sui."

The former number one genius now appeared wild and conceited. A flicker of regret crossed his eyes as he shook his head and sighed. "What a pity. He didn’t manage to survive, so I can’t even get my revenge with my own hands."

Qin Qin retorted angrily, "If Hong Yu were alive, you would be no match for him."

A cold glint flashed in Zheng Tian’s eyes as he sneered, "I don’t mind telling you. Ever since I returned from the battle in the Celestial Essence Secret Realm, I’ve spent months training in the Valley of the Dead. I finally passed the trial that no one has passed in a hundred years. Now, I could finish him in just ten moves."

"What? Y-You passed the trial in the Valley of the Dead?" Qin Qin stared at him, shocked and uncertain.

Zheng Tian said proudly, "That’s right. I am a genius who passed the Valley of the Dead’s trial. The position of Sect Leader will be mine in the future. In the upcoming Southern Ten Nations tournament, I am destined to shine with supreme glory and become a True Dragon Genius. Marrying me is your good fortune, so don’t be ungrateful."

Qin Qin hesitated, but she didn’t argue back this time.

It seemed she had resigned herself to her fate!

A wild, triumphant smile spread across Zheng Tian’s face.

Meanwhile, within Beichen Celestial Frost’s courtyard in the Beichen Family estate...

"I’m so sorry, Auntie, it’s all my fault..." Little Feng knelt on the floor, sobbing with self-blame.

Beichen Celestial Frost lay on her bed, her face extremely pale.

Her delicate features were tinged with a sickly pallor. She looked at Beichen Feng with immense weakness, shaking her head gently, a bitter look on her face. "Little Feng, get up. Auntie doesn’t blame you."

"Auntie, Tie Tongtian asked you to go to the Iron Soldier Pavilion. He’s good friends with Brother Hongyu, so he would definitely protect you. Why did you refuse him?" Beichen Feng asked.

Hearing that familiar name, a nostalgic look flickered across Beichen Celestial Frost’s pretty face.

As she slowly shook her head, she seemed to recall her memories of Hong Yu, a hint of contentment touching the corners of her lips. "Little Feng, I finally understand why your mother left the Qin Kingdom with you all those years ago."

"Hm?"

Beichen Feng was taken aback.

Beichen Celestial Frost looked up slightly at the ceiling, her voice so weak it seemed to drift. "When you hold someone in your heart, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be with them for all eternity. As long as he can have a better life, even if all you can do is slowly reminisce about the past from a great distance, that can be enough to feel content. I think... that’s how your mother must have felt back then."

"Auntie, I know you like Brother Hongyu, but he’s gone now. You should take care of yourself and live a good life. Why did you agree to marry that bastard Qi Tianbao?"

Beichen Feng pleaded, "Father and I would rather give up the Beichen Commerce Association than let you marry him! Tie Tongtian said he had a lot to do with Brother Hongyu’s death. How can you..."

Beichen Celestial Frost stubbornly shook her head. "That’s enough, Little Feng. Don’t say any more. Your father’s injuries are serious. Go take care of him."

"But..."

Little Feng wanted to say more, but he saw Beichen Celestial Frost slowly close her eyes.

Helpless, Little Feng could only dejectedly take his leave.

Hearing the sound of Little Feng closing the door, Beichen Celestial Frost, who had been resting with her eyes closed, slowly opened them. A crystalline glint shone in her jewel-like eyes, and her soft sigh carried an unshakeable resolve...

’Brother Yu, wait for me on the Path to the Underworld!’

’After I kill Qi Tianbao with my own hands and avenge you, I’ll come find you...’

...

No matter what happened in Qin Royal City, no matter how sensational the news, none of it had anything to do with Hong Yu in the Tianmu Mountain Range.

Ever since Little One had pointed out that single sliver of hope for survival, Hong Yu had begun his final struggle with immense willpower.

Forcing himself to endure the heart-rending pain, Hong Yu painstakingly backed away. The Yama Shuttle had already fused with his flesh and blood. As he continued to retreat, his muscles, skin, and even every single nerve were torn apart inch by inch by the pull of the shuttle.

This excruciating, heart-tearing agony almost caused Hong Yu to pass out.

He had only managed to shuffle back half a step, but he was already drenched in sweat, his chest stained crimson with blood.

His heart beat faster and faster.

However, his consciousness was growing increasingly faint.

His own heart had only partially recovered, and he was relying on the Heart of Tai Sui to stay alive.

As the connection between Hong Yu and the Heart of Tai Sui weakened, his bodily functions and Life Force naturally began to decline as well.

’Hold on! I absolutely cannot give up!’

Hong Yu gritted his teeth and continued to back away.

"SPURT!"

A column of blood erupted from his heart.

A grim trickle of blood flowed from Hong Yu’s mouth. Pulling one hair could affect the whole body, let alone when his heart was suffering such tearing agony.

With his mouth full of hot blood, a crimson hue gradually suffused Hong Yu’s eyes as he relied on sheer willpower to keep retreating.

It was a distance of only half a meter...

For a dignified Mid-stage Celestial Soul Realm expert like Hong Yu, let alone an ordinary person, it was a distance that could normally be crossed with ease.

But now...

It had taken Hong Yu a full six hours, during which he passed out from the pain three times, to finally cover that half-meter path.

Finally free from the connection between the Yama Shuttle and the Heart of Tai Sui, Hong Yu felt a jolt of extreme weakness and collapsed to his knees, panting heavily as he supported himself with his hands on the ground.

"BUZZ! BUZZ!"

Hong Yu felt a buzzing in his head, as if thousands of bees were vibrating their wings inside his skull.

Weakness, exhaustion, and fatigue swept over his body and mind.

Hong Yu took a deep breath, clenching his jaw. ’I can’t sleep... Hong Yu, you can’t sleep...’

This was when his body and mind were at their most exhausted and fragile. If he fell asleep now, he would never wake up again.

He bit down, breaking the skin on the tip of his tongue. The sweet taste of blood flooding his throat restored a sliver of clarity. ’The Heaven-Swallowing Divine Technique... Little One said I have to use the Heaven-Swallowing Divine Technique to devour the Spiritual Power of the Heart of Tai Sui as soon as possible...’

He crawled on all fours over to the Heart of Tai Sui.

Propping up his exhausted body, which felt like it could give out at any moment, Hong Yu leaned his back against the Heart of Tai Sui and sat down cross-legged.

With his back against the Heart of Tai Sui, he could even feel its faint throbbing.

’Whether I live or die, it’s all up to you now!’

Hong Yu slowly closed his eyes.

The Heaven-Swallowing Divine Technique was a wondrous and unparalleled method for cultivating Spiritual Power that originated from the Desert North Wilderness.

It was important to understand...

Aside from a few Spirit Cultivators from the Object Manipulation or Illusion Systems, who were gifted with innately strong Spiritual Power, a Martial Artist’s Spiritual Power was almost always weaker than their Elemental Power Cultivation.

This was partly due to inherited talent, but more importantly, it was because of the scarcity of Spiritual Power cultivation methods.

Hong Yu, who considered himself at least somewhat worldly, had never encountered a second Secret Technique for cultivating Spiritual Power besides the Heaven-Swallowing Divine Technique.

It was because of this uniqueness that Hong Yu had once studied this Secret Technique in great detail.

Combined with the help of the Shadow Martial and the boost from his Star River Spirit Bone...

Therefore, when it came to cultivating the Heaven-Swallowing Divine Technique, Hong Yu was definitely a genius among geniuses.

It wouldn’t even be an exaggeration to say that the Heaven-Swallowing Divine Technique was a Cultivation Technique tailor-made for him!

’With the Soul as the core and the spirit as the bridge, devour heaven and earth to forge an unparalleled Primordial Spirit...’

Hong Yu silently recited the cultivation chant of the Heaven-Swallowing Divine Technique.

Inside his mind, a powerful and incredibly pure stream of Spiritual Power surged from his Star River Spirit Bone, flowing like a rushing river into the Heart of Tai Sui.

Under Hong Yu’s control, this massive amount of Spiritual Power coalesced into an invisible hand after entering the Heart of Tai Sui.

As the five fingers clenched and unclenched, he could feel a strong rejection coming from the Heart of Tai Sui.

Under normal circumstances, with the Spiritual Power of the Heart of Tai Sui being no weaker than an Early-stage Primordial Core Realm expert’s, it could have easily crushed Hong Yu’s spiritual hand.

But now, the Heart of Tai Sui was simply too weak!

’Now! Heaven-Swallowing Divine Technique, devour!’

With a low roar, he pushed the Heaven-Swallowing Divine Technique to its absolute limit.

Under his control, the vast Spiritual Power transformed from a hand into a spiritual black hole, continuously devouring the terrifying Spiritual Power within the Heart of Tai Sui.

The Heaven-Swallowing Divine Technique was simply too domineering.

The spiritual black hole it formed devoured with incredible force, gradually turning into a Spirit Storm. Even Hong Yu could clearly feel the vigorous progress of his own Spiritual Power.

This process lasted for an entire day and night.

Just as he was about to finish devouring the Spiritual Power of the Heart of Tai Sui, his Heaven-Swallowing Divine Technique also reached the Late First Layer.

However...

Just when he was on the verge of reaching the Peak of the First Layer, needing only to devour a little more Spiritual Power to break through, the Spiritual Power contained within the Heart of Tai Sui suddenly vanished.

Hong Yu’s eyes snapped open, a look of shocked bitterness and despair flashing within them as he muttered to himself in hopelessness...

"Did I fail?"