Immortal Martial Emperor

"You’re the one who should be kneeling!"

Hong Yu’s cold shout was righteous, solemn, and sacred.

This confident rebuke, like a majestic and righteous roll of thunder, was so immense that it made Wang Ba’s expression freeze, and he instinctively paused his advance.

In the next instant, his face turned the color of pig’s liver. He glared at Hong Yu with fury. "You bastard! How dare you tell me to kneel? You’re courting death!"

Primordial Gang pulsed from his palms like two thick, venomous snakes, their tongues flicking as if ready to coil around Hong Yu’s head and snap it off.

"Insolent Wang Ba, kneel before me now!"

Hong Yu’s eyes flashed as his voice boomed like a clap of thunder.

BUZZ!

An ancient-looking token quietly appeared in his palm.

This token possessed neither the vast aura of an Advanced Primordial Weapon nor the ancient, time-worn presence of a Supreme Treasure. Even its design was incredibly simple.

It merely had two dragon-carved characters, one on each side: "Return" and "Origin"!

This was the very token that the mysterious expert calling himself Yuan Cang, Sect Leader of the Guiyuan Sect, had given to Hong Yu. All this time, Hong Yu had been unwilling to be indebted to Yuan Cang, so he had never used this Guiyuan Order.

But now...

The situation was critical. If he didn’t use the Guiyuan Order now, he would surely die at Wang Ba’s hands.

Wang Ba had been utterly disdainful.

In his heart, he believed Hong Yu was so weakened he was incapable of resistance and possessed no trump cards that could possibly make him hesitate. Thus, he had attacked without the slightest reservation.

Until he saw the Guiyuan Order in Hong Yu’s hand.

Gazing at this seemingly ordinary token, Wang Ba’s heart suddenly trembled.

The Guiyuan Order was like a nightmare, causing the swift attack Wang Ba had been building up to freeze in an instant.

Wang Ba stared at Hong Yu, shocked and uncertain. "The... the Guiyuan Order? How do you have it?"

’It really works? Looks like that old fellow really was Yuan Cang!’

Hong Yu’s tense Heart Spirit relaxed, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He stared at Wang Ba. "Seeing the Guiyuan Order, are you still not going to kneel?"

"You..."

Wang Ba’s expression changed abruptly.

Him, the great Grand Elder of the Guiyuan Sect, a master at the Peak of the Primordial Core Realm, one of the strongest experts in the entire Southern Ten Nations Alliance, kneeling to some snot-nosed kid in the Celestial Soul Realm?

The muscles in Wang Ba’s face twitched. His narrowed eyes, filled with a chilling light that made one’s blood run cold, were fixed on Hong Yu.

Hong Yu’s brows knitted together as he stared unflinchingly at Wang Ba. "It is the ancestral creed of the Guiyuan Sect: all who see the Guiyuan Order, from Elders down to the disciples, regardless of age or status, must kneel and perform the three prostrations and nine kowtows. Wang Ba, as the Grand Elder of the Guiyuan Sect, do you intend to knowingly break the law?"

"You little brat, don’t push your luck."

Wang Ba’s face was grim as he gnashed his teeth.

He was practically trembling with rage. If it weren’t for this Guiyuan Order, if it weren’t for all the experts watching in the Guiyuan Hall, he would have slapped this little bastard who dared tell him to kneel to death!

But the current situation didn’t allow for that!

If he openly defied the bearer of the Guiyuan Order in front of all these experts, he would face a miserable fate when Sect Leader Yuan Cang came out of seclusion.

But if he didn’t attack, did that mean he had to kneel?

Caught in a dilemma, Wang Ba’s eyes darted around. He retracted his sharp aura and forced an ugly smile. "Ah, Hong Yu, I feel that a young man like you has outstanding talent. You are a diamond in the rough. As long as you’re willing to join the Guiyuan Sect, you will have endless benefits and cultivation resources in the future. Then, your cultivation will surely advance by leaps and bounds..."

Hong Yu glanced at him, his expression unchanging, and said flatly, "It is the ancestral creed of the Guiyuan Sect: all who see the Guiyuan Order, from Elders down to the disciples, regardless of age or status, must kneel and perform the three prostrations and nine kowtows. Wang Ba, as the Grand Elder of the Guiyuan Sect, do you intend to knowingly break the law?"

The corner of Wang Ba’s eye twitched. ’...Dammit, why that line again?’

He gave a bitter smile. "Hong Yu, let’s discuss this..."

Before he could finish, Hong Yu repeated the same line again.

This time, Wang Ba’s old face was as black as charcoal, yet he saw that Hong Yu had no desire to even look at him.

As the corner of his eye twitched, he hesitated, wondering if he really had to kneel.

But at that very moment...

Wang Ba faintly overheard some experts whispering, "Why has Wang Ba stopped? Wasn’t he just about to kill Hong Yu with that menacing aura?"

"Kill him? My ass! Didn’t you see that token in Hong Yu’s hand? That’s the Guiyuan Order! I heard that since the Guiyuan Sect was founded, only three have ever been issued. Seeing the token is like seeing the founding ancestor. Looks like Wang Ba is going to have to kneel!"

"Holy crap, Wang Ba has been a renowned figure for a long time. If he kneels now, will he ever be able to show his face in public again?"

Wang Ba shuddered.

His legs, which had been about to bend, straightened again. His eye twitched as he thought, ’That’s right, I absolutely cannot kneel. If I kneel today, how will I ever show my face in the Southern Ten Nations again?’

At this thought...

Malice bloomed in Wang Ba’s heart. He roared, "Insolent Hong Yu! How dare you use a fake to impersonate our Guiyuan Sect’s supreme Guiyuan Order! Die!"

BUZZ!

Wang Ba formed a Seal Technique with his hands.

He naturally knew the Guiyuan Order in Hong Yu’s hand was genuine, but now he had no choice but to take a desperate risk!

Wang Ba knew he could not afford the humiliation of kneeling before Hong Yu.

Rather than do that, it was better to take a gamble and risk it all!

BOOM!

A tyrannical force arrived in an instant, coalescing into a massive Primordial Gang Python that shot toward Hong Yu, seeking to engulf him.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The Primordial Gang Python was infused with the power of True Martial Arts Intent—specifically, one of the True Martial Arts Intents Wang Ba had mastered: Python Heaven Force!

It was a True Martial Arts Intent he had comprehended from observing giant pythons hunting their prey!

’Damn it, this old bastard...’

Hong Yu was horrified.

The moment the Python Heaven Force rushed toward him, Hong Yu began to tremble violently, his bones creaking with a CRACK-CRACK sound.

Even Beichen Celestial Frost and Little Feng, who were behind him, turned pale. If Hong Yu hadn’t absorbed the vast majority of the force, the two of them would have already been sent flying, coughing up blood and suffering severe injuries.

Even so, all three of them felt their lives were in danger.

’This damned old bastard, as long as I survive today, I swear I’ll kill you,’ Hong Yu vowed viciously in his heart.

Just as the Python Heaven Force was about to swallow him whole...

In that hair’s breadth between life and death, just as the menacing Primordial Gang Python opened its cavernous mouth to bite down, it suddenly froze as if held in place by something, completely motionless.

Immediately after, the Primordial Gang Python began to melt away at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In just a few breaths, the Primordial Gang Python—an attack capable of killing an Early-stage Primordial Core Realm expert—had completely vanished.

Such a bizarre scene left everyone utterly astonished.

For a moment, they couldn’t process what had happened!

"Grandfather, what’s going on?" Tie Tongtian asked nervously.

Old Sir Tie’s gaze focused, and his voice was a little hoarse. "Yuan Cang... he’s back!"

"What? Yuan Cang? The Sect Leader of the Guiyuan Sect?" Tie Tongtian trembled.

If one were to ask who was the most anxious and panicked person at that moment, it was undoubtedly Wang Ba.

Ever since Yuan Cang announced several years ago that he was entering seclusion to break through to become a Tier Four Spiritual Craftsman, Wang Ba had become the de facto ruler of the Guiyuan Sect.

Perhaps at the very beginning, Wang Ba truly had intended to serve the Guiyuan Sect faithfully.

However, after tasting power, holding the authority over life and death, and occupying a high position for so long, Wang Ba gradually became infatuated with the feeling of absolute control. The ambition in his heart swelled and grew stronger.

He was no longer content with merely managing the Sect’s affairs in the Sect Leader’s stead.

Driven by this ambition, Wang Ba began to purge dissidents within the Sect while suppressing and expanding against outsiders.

Over the years, Wang Ba had become arrogant and looked down on everyone. He paid no mind to anyone except for one person.

That person was the Sect Leader of the Guiyuan Sect—Yuan Cang!

’Impossible. How could he be back without me knowing?’ Wang Ba tried to reassure himself. ’It’s an illusion. It has to be an illusion. He can’t be back...’

Unfortunately...

Fantasy is beautiful, but reality is cruel!

No matter how much Wang Ba refused to believe it, a fact was a fact!

A voice, steady and dignified like an old pine tree, slowly drifted down from the sky and landed before Wang Ba.

The quiet voice carried an unquestionable majesty. "Wang Ba, you have disappointed me greatly."

"This... this subordinate greets the Sect Leader!"

Wang Ba hastily said in a respectful tone.

His eyes darted about as he was already thinking of how to escape this calamity.

Yuan Cang looked at him with a calm gaze. "Did you really think I was unaware of what you’ve been doing all these years? Wang Ba, in consideration of your many contributions to the Guiyuan Sect, from this day forward, you will go to Heart Return Cliff on the back mountain and reflect on your misdeeds in seclusion for fifty years."

"What?"

Wang Ba was stunned. He shot his head up to look at Yuan Cang and said in disbelief, "Sect Leader, what did you say? You want me to go to Heart Return Cliff to face a wall for fifty years?"

"Your Martial Arts Heart has long been in turmoil. Sending you to Heart Return Cliff is for your own good," Yuan Cang said.

Wang Ba’s expression changed drastically. His volatile gaze swept back and forth between Yuan Cang and Hong Yu.

In reality, he was secretly trying to probe Yuan Cang’s strength.

To his horror, Wang Ba discovered that when his Mid-stage Primordial Core Realm Spiritual Power touched Yuan Cang, it was like a clay ox entering the sea—it vanished without a trace.

This could only mean that Yuan Cang’s cultivation had reached a level so profound that he was completely unable to fathom it.

At this thought, although unwilling, Wang Ba began to scheme. ’If I go to Heart Return Cliff, I can find a way to leave later. But if I turn on the Sect Leader now, it’s a dead end. Fine, I’ll endure this for a while. Hong Yu, oh, Hong Yu... you just wait!’

"Sect Leader, this subordinate will go to Heart Return Cliff at once!" Wang Ba said.

He finished speaking and turned to leave, but as he took a step, Hong Yu’s clear, cold voice came from behind him. "Hold on. We still have a score to settle!"

"You little bastard, what did you say?" Wang Ba spun around to face Hong Yu.

He was wary of Yuan Cang, not Hong Yu.

Hong Yu spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly. "How you are punished for not kneeling before the Guiyuan Order is a matter for your Guiyuan Sect. I have another matter to discuss with you right now."

He took a piece of white paper from his Storage Ring, which was none other than the gambling contract signed with Xue De. "This wager was personally signed by your godson, Xue De. But now that he’s dead, the rules of the martial world state that the father must pay the son’s debts. I’ll have to ask Elder Wang to honor the wager immediately! This junior runs a small business and does not offer credit!"

"Bastard! What does Xue De’s debt have to do with me?"

Wang Ba raged.

Hong Yu shrugged. "Aren’t you his godfather?"

"I..."

Wang Ba opened his mouth, only to find himself speechless.

At the same time...

Nearby, Yuan Cang had already nodded and said righteously, "A son’s debt paid by the father—this is indeed natural and unalterable. Elder Wang, a bet is a bet. Since your godson lost the wager, it’s only right for you, the godfather, to pay it for him!"

"..."

Wang Ba wanted to cry but had no tears. He was so angry he coughed up a mouthful of old blood...

On this day in 1945, our country won the War of Resistance. Tonight, Qiye will also burn the midnight oil and fight to finish this manuscript!