Immortal Martial Emperor

Pain!

Agony!

Heart-wrenching, soul-tearing agony!

The moment he leaped into the Life and Death Yin Yang Pool, an extreme cold capable of freezing his very soul assaulted his entire body.

This cold was so intense it felt as if his soul would turn into an ice sculpture and shatter.

HISS!

Hong Yu’s body tensed violently, convulsing as if he had been electrocuted.

A layer of frost had already formed on his skin, shattering inch by inch. The moment fresh blood welled up, it turned into ice crystals.

In that instant, Hong Yu had become a blood-soaked man, encased in ice.

’It hurts so much. It feels like I could freeze to death at any moment. This is too agonizing.’ Hong Yu’s Heart Spirit was in excruciating pain. If not for his incredibly resilient willpower, he would have already died.

BUZZ! BUZZ!

Waves rippled through the pool, crashing against his body.

Hong Yu felt his soul sinking deeper into a frozen state.

Even his reaction speed slowed considerably. A dazed look clouded his eyes as his consciousness was nearly consumed by darkness.

’No, if this continues, I’ll definitely die.’

’I can’t die yet!’

’My home, my parents, my sister, and Tianshuang—they all need me...’

’I still have so much to do. I absolutely cannot die!’

An intense unwillingness to yield, an obsession with not dying, reached its peak.

Faced with death, most people react with fear, dread, and despair.

It’s like those who are living perfectly healthy lives but are suddenly diagnosed with a terminal illness.

From then on, they are consumed by anxiety, worry, and fear.

In the end, it’s not the disease that kills them; they scare themselves to death or are worn down by their own torment.

Yet, there are often those who, despite being diagnosed with a so-called terminal illness, can maintain an optimistic and positive attitude, creating miracles and conquering their disease.

The powerful obsession in Hong Yu’s heart, his thirst for survival, was like a pile of bricks.

And his resistance, his refusal to die, was like cement.

When the cement and bricks merged, they gradually built a great wall, one that could block anything, even topple everything in its path!

’Live! I must live!’

Hong Yu’s eyes snapped open.

His frozen eyeballs suddenly erupted with an intense light. The nebula in his left eye began to spin faster, and the ice-blue planets within it accelerated their rotation.

BUZZ! BUZZ!

Within the Life and Death Yin Yang Pool, the Extreme Cold Power was being continuously devoured by the Ice Blue Stars.

As this devouring process continued, more and more planets turned ice-blue. After three days, five thousand stars had changed to an ice-blue color.

At this moment, Hong Yu’s Spiritual Power ascended to a new level, reaching the Peak of Primordial Embryo Realm.

’It’s not enough. Far from it!’

Hong Yu continued to devour greedily.

「Three more days passed.」

At a certain moment... BOOM! Hong Yu’s left eye erupted with a cold brilliance. The blue light converged into a pillar that shot straight into the sky.

Within his eye, the outer ring of the nebula was now completely shrouded in an ice-blue glow.

Ten thousand. A full ten thousand stars had turned ice-blue.

The nebula in Hong Yu’s left eye contained a total of ninety-thousand and one stars. Aside from the most important Celestial Martial Origin Star, it was divided into outer, middle, and inner rings.

Now, one-third of the outer ring was finally lit!

At this moment, the intensity of Hong Yu’s Spiritual Power rose another level, stepping into the Primordial Spirit Realm.

Why do countless prodigies rise like comets, only to stagnate at the Peak of the Primordial Embryo Realm, unable to advance?

The biggest reason is that their Spiritual Power cannot reach the level of the Primordial Spirit Realm.

Why is that?

Advancing to the Primordial Spirit Realm isn’t like advancing to the Primordial Core Realm or Primordial Embryo Realm, where one simply needs to reach a sufficient level of strength and then comprehend True Martial Arts Intent and Mystical Techniques.

To step into the Primordial Spirit Realm, one must complete a step that is considered harder than ascending to the heavens.

That is to fuse one’s soul with their Primordial Embryo, forging a Primordial Spirit!

This process has extremely strict requirements for the control and intensity of one’s Spiritual Power. Not even one in a hundred Primordial Embryo Realm powerhouses might succeed in taking this step.

This is precisely why the Ice Kingdom, despite having a considerable number of Primordial Embryo Realm powerhouses, does not have a single Primordial Spirit Realm powerhouse.

Now, Hong Yu’s Spiritual Power had already reached the level of the Primordial Spirit Realm.

He only needed to cultivate his Primordial Embryo to the Perfection Realm, and he would be able to fuse his soul into the Primordial Embryo as a matter of course.

Although he couldn’t be one hundred percent certain of a successful promotion, he would at least face far fewer obstacles than ordinary powerhouses.

Of course...

The greatest benefit his improved Spiritual Power brought him for now, however, was that he could now smoothly execute the Third Layer of the Flying Thunder Divine Skill: the Seventy-two Earth Fiend Techniques!

With the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Skills, his flying saber attacks were already enough to kill Late-stage Primordial Embryo Realm powerhouses.

Now... relying on the Seventy-two Earth Fiend Techniques to control his Flying Sabers and form the Earth Fiend Array, he could definitely annihilate a Peak Primordial Embryo Realm Powerhouse.

However... if his opponent was an expert like Blood Wen, this level of attack power would still be insufficient!

’This Cold Pool is no longer very effective. I need to go to the other side and experience the extremely hot pool water.’

Hong Yu’s gaze was deep, flickering with a sharp glint.

While comprehending within the Life and Death Yin Yang Pool, he had gradually grasped some Profound Mysteries. It wasn’t just an increase in Spiritual Power; even his understanding of the Martial Dao had become increasingly clear.

What he needed to do now was enter the extremely hot pool water and experience it.

Then, he would compare and contrast the experiences, applying them to his own Martial Dao.

Hong Yu had a feeling that once this comprehension was successful, he would have obtained his ticket into the Primordial Embryo Realm!

’Blood Wen, Blood Demon Palace, just you wait! Once I break through to the Primordial Embryo Realm, it will be time for you to pay your blood debt with blood!’

Hong Yu took a deep breath and entered the extremely hot pool water.

As the Heaven-Swallowing Divine Technique circulated, powerful Spiritual Power enveloped his body.

Coupled with his Eight Desolates Dominating Body and a physical body strengthened by the Nine Transformation Dragon God Technique, Hong Yu did not feel as much pain upon entering the extremely hot water as he had in the Extremely Cold Pool Water.

Searing heat!

It was like falling into lava.

Ice and fire!

Life and death!

These two sensations constantly swirled in Hong Yu’s mind.

With life, all things possess vitality!

With death, nothing in the world can escape its grasp!

’Whether it’s life or death, they are both part of reincarnation!’

’Just as flowers and grass wither in winter, it is not a true death, but a preparation to burst with new life when spring arrives. Life is the beginning of death; death, in fact, is merely the beginning of new life...’

’Life and death, destruction and rebirth—these are all part of reincarnation!’

’Nothing in this world can escape reincarnation. The Martial Dao is the same...’

All sorts of thoughts and ideas continuously circled in his mind.

He considered them, one against the other.

He constantly overturned his old, mistaken understandings, establishing brand new concepts and even constructing a Martial Dao navigation system of his own.

’So my previous persistence was all wrong. I stubbornly tried to fuse ice and fire into a cycle, but that was the wrong path. Whether it’s ice or fire, they both exist within heaven and earth. Just like the Life and Death Yin Yang Pool, they are two completely opposite existences, yet they can merge together so harmoniously.’

’The origin of the Martial Dao, whether it’s the Five Yin Demonic Intent, the Thunder True Intent, or the Flame True Intent... they all actually originate from nature, from reincarnation, from all things. Therefore, though there are thousands of Daoist Skills, they all ultimately return to their origin. The origin of heaven and earth lies in...’

Hong Yu’s eyes snapped open.

An intense brilliance erupted from within them!

’I understand! I finally understand!’

"Hahahaha..."

Hong Yu threw open his arms and let out a wild, uninhibited laugh. "So my previous path was completely wrong! The so-called True Martial Arts Intents don’t need to be fused at all. Ten True Martial Arts Intents is not the limit. The true limit is the origin! Only by comprehending the origin can one technique lead to ten thousand techniques, one understanding lead to all understanding!"

"Origin, origin, the origin of the Martial Dao is Chaos. Chaos begets Tai Chi, Tai Chi begets the two primary forces, the two primary forces beget the Four Symbols, and the Four Symbols beget the eight trigrams..."

"The Dao produced One; One produced Two; Two produced Three; Three produced All things!"

"My Dao shouldn’t be the Ice and Fire Cycle, nor should it be Thunderous Force! My Dao should be Chaos! It should be the origin! The pursuit of the root of all things!"

Following his unrestrained roar, the Infinite Golden Core within Hong Yu’s body began to spin frantically. Even the Star River Spirit Bone in his mind erupted with an intense light, completely enveloping his body.

The light shot to the heavens, illuminating the entire Life and Death Yin Yang Pool.

Powerful energy fluctuations swept out from him in all directions, stirring the waters of the Life and Death Yin Yang Pool into turbulent waves.

"Hm?"

The Cyan Lamp let out a sound of astonishment. ’This little fellow actually managed to achieve sublimation in the Life and Death Yin Yang Pool? Incredible, simply incredible! This world is about to give birth to another supreme Venerable. I just wonder what level he can reach?’

「Meanwhile...」

Inside the Profound Celestial Tower’s inner space.

Little One was playing hide-and-seek with Huhu when his body suddenly trembled. He looked up at the void in disbelief.

A look of utter shock filled his eyes. "H-Holy crap! The Third Layer’s seal actually broke on its own? Is Hong Yu trying to defy the heavens?"

Within the Profound Celestial Tower, the gates to the Third Layer boomed open.

A golden, dragon-shaped figure shot out from within the gates.

This yellow dragon soared around the tower’s inner space, exuding a powerful Long Wei. If Hong Yu were to see it, he would surely be astonished.

Because this yellow dragon was formed entirely from condensed True Dragon Martial Fortune.

It was so immense that it was likely enough to raise an ordinary person to the level of a Fifth Heaven Realm True Dragon Demon Fiend!

BOOM!

The Martial Luck True Dragon rushed out and plunged directly into Hong Yu’s Infinite Golden Core.

BUZZ!

The Martial Fortune Tower automatically materialized behind Hong Yu.

The twenty-three-zhang-tall Martial Fortune Tower, under the effect of a double boost, was comparable to another person’s forty-six zhang of True Dragon Martial Fortune—the level of a Fourth Transformation Heaven Realm genius.

A golden dragon coiled around the tower.

BUZZ! BUZZ!

Bursts of yellow light erupted. The Martial Fortune Tower and the Martial Luck True Dragon were actually fusing together, and the tower began to rise, section by section.

Twenty-five zhang!

Twenty-six zhang...

In the blink of an eye, it reached twenty-nine zhang. This was already the True Dragon Level of the Fifth Heaven Realm.

If it were to rise any further, that would be—the Sixth Heaven Realm!

But... a genius of the Sixth Heaven Realm hadn’t appeared in the entire Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom for several thousand years.

Could Hong Yu truly reach that level?

[Two Chapters for now!]