Immortal Martial Emperor

"PFFT!"

Jin Zhiqiang stumbled back three consecutive steps, his face flushing crimson as he spat out a Blood Arrow.

He clutched his chest with his right hand, staring at Hong Yu in utter horror. "H-How is this possible? How could this happen? Y-You... how do you possess such exquisite Spiritual Manipulation Power?"

Jin Zhiqiang was known as the number one Spirit Cultivator in the Imperial Capital.

His greatest skill was the manipulation of Spiritual Power, which had made him famous throughout the Imperial Capital for over a decade.

With his control over Spiritual Power, Jin Zhiqiang could perform numerous detection and perception feats, which was why he held a very important position in the army of the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom.

He had previously been on a mission, leading a legion to explore a set of ruins.

Therefore, he had not participated in the pre-war hunt.

Even after hearing about Hong Yu’s brilliant achievements in the pre-war hunt, he had remained unfazed. In his view, no matter how strong Hong Yu’s Martial Force was, a single glance from him could launch a Spiritual Power assault or create an Illusion Realm, and Hong Yu would still be no match for him.

Even upon hearing that Hong Yu could also use Spiritual Power attacks, he had never considered Hong Yu a threat.

He still believed that, at least in terms of Spiritual Manipulation Power, he could secure a definite victory over Hong Yu.

Until now...

Jin Zhiqiang suddenly realized how naive his thinking had been.

Or perhaps, everyone had underestimated Hong Yu.

In the VIP rooms on the second floor, several auras fluctuated for a moment.

There was no shortage of experts at the Unparalleled Genius Level in the VIP rooms. Logically, they should have been able to remain calm even if Mount Tai were to collapse before them, yet now their auras were in disarray.

It was clear how shocked they were by Hong Yu’s successive displays of profound skill in both the Dao of the Spiritual Craftsman and the Dao of Spiritual Power.

A strange light flashed in Zhu Ling’Er’s eyes as she stared intently at Hong Yu. ’What a man, this Hong Yu. Not only is his Martial Dao talent immense, but he’s also proficient in the way of the Spiritual Craftsman and the way of the Spiritual Power Cultivator. Just what kind of person is he? He’s simply a monster!’

"Holy crap, is this Hong Yu’s true power?"

"He’s terrifying!"

The hall erupted in a clamor of discussion.

One could only imagine... just how immense the shock of that last scene had been.

In terms of Martial Force, he was comparable to an Unparalleled Genius.

In the Dao of the Spiritual Craftsman, he surpassed the former number one prodigy of the Imperial Capital.

In terms of Spiritual Manipulation Power, he far surpassed the army’s foremost expert.

Any one of these aspects alone would make him a Celestial Pride Son watched by tens of thousands, but when all of them were combined in a single person, he was surrounded by the aura of a god!

"Hong Yu, I’ve decided! From now on, you’re my one and only idol!"

"Now *that’s* a true genius!"

"To be born in the same era as a figure like this... am I lucky or is it tragic?"

"Simply incredible..."

He had stunned the entire audience, an unknown talent bursting onto the scene.

This was the state Hong Yu found himself in, basking in the attention and reverence of everyone present.

Hong Yu rubbed his nose and looked at Jin Zhiqiang. "So, uh... you’re not going to insist on another round, are you?"

Jin Zhiqiang’s eyelid twitched. "..."

He nearly burst out cursing.

’Bet?’

’Bet my ass!’

’My brother and I have both been utterly crushed by you in our respective areas of expertise. What the hell do we have left to bet with? Are we supposed to roll up our sleeves and fight you to the death?’

The thought of Hong Yu’s Unparalleled Genius-level combat prowess made Jin Zhiqiang wisely choose to concede. "I’ve lost. I admit my defeat, completely and wholeheartedly!"

Jin Zhiyong sized up Hong Yu with a solemn gaze.

After a moment, he gave a bitter smile. "It seems I’ve been a frog in a well all along. Hong Yu, you have my admiration!"

"Er..."

Hong Yu scratched his head.

’If the Jin Zhiqiang brothers had continued to press me or tried to renege on the bet, things would have been simpler. I could have just started fighting.’

’But now that the two brothers have adopted such a submissive and convinced attitude, it’s put me in a bit of an awkward position.’

Fortunately, the two Jin Zhiqiang brothers were sensible.

The two exchanged a glance, and then said to Hong Yu, "We lost this bet. However, we can’t produce two billion Gold Coins’ worth of Elemental Essence Ore right away. How about this: we’ll find a way to gather it and deliver it to you within three days."

"Fine!"

Hong Yu nodded.

’Since they had already admitted defeat, there’s no need to be overbearing.’

Seeing Hong Yu agree, Jin Zhiqiang and Jin Zhiyong breathed a sigh of relief. The two of them opened their mouths, preparing to fulfill their promise to kneel and call themselves ’stupid pigs’.

But just as they started to kneel, they felt a gentle force holding them up.

They looked at Hong Yu in surprise.

Hong Yu smiled. "Let’s forget about the kneeling. Consider it the start of a friendship."

"..."

The two of them looked at Hong Yu’s sincere gaze and felt rather moved.

It was true that one should honor a lost bet.

But if they had really kneeled and shouted "I am a stupid pig," not only would the two of them have lost all face, but the family behind them would have certainly become a laughingstock.

Hong Yu’s actions were clearly helping them out of a difficult situation, and the two brothers were deeply grateful.

"Thank you!"

Jin Zhiyong and his brother said sincerely.

Hong Yu waved his hand and looked at Zhu Ling’Er. "Miss Ling’Er, shall we conclude the second segment here?"

The two contests just now had been quite spectacular.

Coupled with Hong Yu’s stunning performance, it was clear no one else would come forward to make a fool of themselves.

Zhu Ling’Er immediately announced, "Alright, in that case, let’s move on to the third segment. Everyone may now ask questions of the experts in the VIP rooms."

Hong Yu didn’t return to his VIP room. Instead, Jin Zhiqiang and his brother pulled him aside to sit with them.

The two brothers incessantly questioned him about the Magic Cube and spiritual control.

Hong Yu was quite forthcoming, sharing some of the information and knowledge he possessed. The brothers instantly treated his words like a Supreme Treasure and began to worship him as if he were a deity.

Hong Yu, however, felt a bit wistful.

’I’ve only revealed some rudimentary knowledge from the *Initial Understanding of the Dao of Artifacts*, and they’re already this excited, treating it like a Supreme Treasure.’

’It just goes to show how formidable the Profound Celestial Tower truly is.’

"Brother Hong, I have an Ancient Array Map here. Could you help me appraise it?" Jin Zhiyong said with a chuckle.

He was a stubborn person; though he was a few years older than Hong Yu, he insisted on calling him Brother Hong.

Hong Yu felt a bit helpless about this but took the Ancient Array Map from his hand.

With a single glance, Hong Yu’s expression changed abruptly. "This is...?"

He was astonished to find that the pattern on the Ancient Array Map was incredibly similar to Rashomon.

However, the patterns on Rashomon were scrambled, and the Array Map was even incomplete in some places. Hong Yu had tried to repair the Array Map on Rashomon before but had never known where to begin.

But now, by comparing it with this Ancient Array Map, Hong Yu felt he had faintly grasped a way to repair Rashomon.

This was fantastic news!

’How powerful is Rashomon?’

’It’s the gate of the legendary Divine City that suppressed the starry sky. Rashomon alone is larger than dozens of Forbidden Cities combined.’

’I only possess the Luo Rune Seal and the Life and Death Seal, yet they already have immense destructive power.’

’Back then, by borrowing the power of the Snow Ape Race’s High Priest, I was able to unleash a sliver of Rashomon’s power, and it had the might to destroy heaven and earth.’

’If I could fully activate Rashomon, my combat prowess would reach an even higher level.’

Immediately...

Hong Yu began to examine it more carefully. The more he looked, the tighter his brow furrowed. He discovered that this Ancient Array Map was also incomplete. He looked at Jin Zhiyong. "Where did you get this Ancient Array Map?"

"I bought it at an auction. At the time, I was just thinking of studying the Ancient Array on it, but after more than three years, I still haven’t made any headway." Jin Zhiyong looked at Hong Yu excitedly. "Brother Hong, could it be that you know the origin of this Ancient Array Map?"

Hong Yu shook his head. "I have some clues, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to solve its puzzle in the short term."

He was only telling half the truth. After all, the matter of Rashomon was too significant to be revealed.

Jin Zhiyong was a little disappointed, but then he said, "Since you can’t figure it out in the short term, you should just keep this Ancient Array Map. Whenever you solve it, you can just tell me the answer!"

"This..."

Hong Yu hesitated.

Jin Zhiqiang smiled. "Brother Hong, just accept it!"

"Alright, then I won’t be polite!"

Hong Yu nodded and put away the Ancient Array Map. He planned to go back and study it carefully, hoping he might be able to decipher the Array Runes of Rashomon and perhaps even uncover the secret of the final Death Rune Seal.

The rest of the Martial Arts Tea Party was quite lively.

Everyone was asking all sorts of questions, with the vast majority directed at Hong Yu. There were questions about the Martial Dao, about being a Spiritual Craftsman, and about being a Spirit Cultivator.

Hong Yu handled them all with ease. Sometimes, a mere few words from him would be treated like a Supreme Treasure by many, and some people even broke through to new realms on the spot.

They revered Hong Yu even more, treating him like a deity.

Their reverence and admiration for Hong Yu grew to the point where they almost prostrated themselves in worship!

As time passed, the Martial Arts Tea Party drew to a close. Zhu Ling’Er smiled and said, "I’m very happy that you all could attend this Martial Arts Tea Party. The True Dragon War will be starting soon. I hope everyone can make great achievements and secure outstanding results!"

"Thank you, Princess Ling’er, for your hospitality!"

"Thank you, Hong Yu, for your answers! We have benefited greatly!"

The several hundred experts all spoke respectfully.

Hong Yu responded with a smile.

He was just about to wait for everyone to leave before going to find Zhu Ling’Er and ask about Little Chenxi’s whereabouts. But just then, a muffled "BOOM" came from the entrance of the Void Spirit Pavilion.

The closed main doors were instantly blasted open by an immense force.

A large contingent of armored experts, reeking of killing intent, rushed in from outside and instantly surrounded the Void Spirit Pavilion.

"What’s going on?"

Just as everyone was feeling confused, a sharp roar came from outside the Void Spirit Pavilion. "Listen up, you people inside! The Golden Spear Guard and the City Defense Army are conducting a joint operation! If you know what’s good for you, tell that bastard surnamed Hong to get his ass out here and die! Otherwise, the Golden Spear Guard and the City Defense Army will raze this place to the ground, and everyone inside will be charged with the major crime of harboring a fugitive!"

"Surnamed Hong?"

"The Golden Spear Guard? The City Defense Army?"

"What’s with them? Since when did the Golden Spear Guard and the City Defense Army dare to storm the Martial Arts Tea Party?"

Everyone present came from a powerful background and major faction. There was no shortage of powerful families and forces that held key positions in the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom, and they had no fear of the Golden Spear Guard or the City Defense Army.

Furthermore, the Martial Arts Tea Party was backed by the Ten Great Unparalleled Prodigies and the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom itself. Who would dare cause trouble here?

Only Hong Yu rubbed his nose. He recognized the voice as belonging to that young ruffian, Tang Wei, and muttered, "That guy actually dared to show up at my doorstep?"

Outside, Tang Wei saw that Hong Yu had not surrendered and roared again, "You bastard surnamed Hong, get the hell out here! If I don’t break both your legs and cripple your Power today, then my surname isn’t Tang! And all you people inside, listen up! If you dare to shelter that bastard Hong, you’ll be in big trouble!"

"Damn, who is this guy? So arrogant!"

"He’s looking for someone surnamed Hong? Who could that be?"

Amid the crowd’s confusion, Hong Yu gave a wry smile and rubbed his nose. "Sorry, everyone. He’s looking for me. Please let me through, I’ll go out and take care of it."

The moment Hong Yu said this, everyone was stunned, and then they became even more agitated and furious.

More than half the people present now considered Hong Yu their idol, and nearly everyone had received his guidance. How could they possibly let Hong Yu handle this trouble by himself?

Instantly, the hundreds of experts from powerful backgrounds all began to speak up...

"Brother Hong, don’t move! We’ll take care of it for you!"

"How could we trouble Brother Hong with some blind Tom, Dick, or Harry? We’ll handle it for you!"

"Picking a fight with Brother Hong? You’re courting death!"

The several hundred people surged toward the door, their momentum like a rainbow, their killing intent palpable.

Hong Yu watched the surging tide of people, rubbed his nose, and wore a peculiar expression.

That poor Eldest Young Master Tang still had no idea who was *really* in trouble.