Immortal Martial Emperor

"Oh? What is it?"

Xiahuang Shang asked with a faint smile.

Clearly...

He didn’t take Hong Yu’s words to heart.

This was understandable.

After all, considering Xiahuang Shang’s identity, strength, and status, the number of treasures he had seen was immense.

Very few could truly pique his interest!

Hong Yu, however, just smiled mysteriously. "Follow me!"

He immediately led Xiahuang Shang back to his residence at the Fallen Dragon Pool. When he received the Dragon Blood Inheritance, Hong Yu had not only acquired the corpse of the Purple Thunder Winged Flood Dragon but also its inheritance and this very cave estate.

With a mere thought, Hong Yu located the Evil-eyed White Tiger, which was in secluded meditation inside the treasury, comprehending its recent gains.

The Evil-eyed White Tiger seemed to have gained some immense benefit and was deeply engrossed in comprehending it, its perception of the outside world completely sealed off.

Hong Yu couldn’t help but smile wryly. ’This big tiger sure is trusting of me!’

’If I had any ill intentions right now, I could probably skin it alive and it wouldn’t even notice!’

With a soft chuckle, Hong Yu reactivated the estate’s Prohibition, shielding the interior from outside perception.

Seeing Hong Yu act with such gravity, Xiahuang Shang’s brow furrowed, his own expression turning serious. "Younger Brother Hong, what on earth do you have to show me?"

Hong Yu smiled mysteriously. "Brother Xiahuang, take a look!"

And then...

Hong Yu retrieved a peculiar box from his Storage Ring.

The case appeared to be forged from bronze, covered in numerous strange Runes and engravings, yet it wasn’t actually bronze.

A strange, large lock secured it.

This was the very same mysterious, unopenable box he had acquired when he looted the treasury of Elder Luo from the Cyan Nether Sword Sect!

All this time, Hong Yu had never figured out what this box was.

He worried that forcing it open might destroy the contents, so he had kept it in his Storage Ring. He had almost forgotten it even existed. It wasn’t until he saw Bai Luoxue hand a box to Xiahuang Shang that he remembered he had a similar one in his own Storage Ring.

Though the markings were slightly different, the overall design was remarkably similar.

The moment Xiahuang Shang saw the box, he shuddered as if struck by lightning. A look of stunned ecstasy filled his eyes. "This is it! This is it! Hahaha, the map to the very core of the Divine Luo Secret Realm is right here! Hahaha, I’ve searched high and low for this, and now it’s fallen right into my lap!"

Forgetting his decorum, Xiahuang Shang threw himself at the box, stroking it with reverent care.

He roared with laughter, his regal bearing completely gone.

The corner of Hong Yu’s eye twitched. ’...’

’Divine Luo Secret Realm? What’s that?’

’He vaguely recalled the Ten Great Secret Realms of the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom, but the Divine Luo Secret Realm wasn’t one of them!’

Xiahuang Shang remained ecstatic for a long moment before finally turning back. He laughed, clapped Hong Yu on the shoulder, and exclaimed, "Younger Brother Hong, you’re my lucky star!"

"Brother Xiahuang, what is this thing? And what’s this Divine Luo Secret Realm you mentioned?" Hong Yu asked in confusion.

Xiahuang Shang casually waved his hand.

Two more boxes appeared before them. Though different from Hong Yu’s, when all three were placed together, it was clear they formed a complete set.

Xiahuang Shang explained, "Younger Brother Hong, you know about the Ten Great Secret Realms, don’t you?"

Hong Yu nodded.

Xiahuang Shang continued, "The Ten Great Secret Realms were discovered and opened by generations of powerful experts within the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom. Some are controlled by certain kingdoms or factions, while others are public domains where anyone can venture. But the Southern Border Profound Domain is vast; it’s impossible that it only contains these ten."

Hong Yu understood. It made perfect sense.

’After all, the world is vast and full of prodigies,’ he thought. ’The Southern Border Profound Domain has existed for untold ages. It would be stranger if there were *only* ten secret realms.’

’It’s just...’

’These ten are just the most well-known, and thus the most famous.’

Xiahuang Shang went on, "The Divine Luo Secret Realm is one such uncharted realm. According to ancient records, the opportunities it holds are even richer than those of the strongest of the Ten Great Secret Realms combined. However, no one has ever been able to find its exact location, let alone open it, because no one could ever assemble its keys."

"You’re saying these are the keys to the Divine Luo Secret Realm?"

Hong Yu’s eyes lit up.

"That’s right!"

Xiahuang Shang said, "The key to the Divine Luo Secret Realm is in three parts—three map scrolls for the outer, middle, and core regions. The scroll I just received is the map of the outer region, and I already possessed the one for the middle. With these two, I could find and enter the Divine Luo Secret Realm, but I would’ve been restricted to the outer and middle regions. I never imagined..."

He couldn’t help but burst out laughing again, looking excitedly at the box Hong Yu had produced. "That you would have the most crucial map—the one for the core region! Hahaha! I can only imagine the looks on Venerable Xiahuang’s and Bai Luoxue’s faces if they knew about this!"

Hong Yu blinked.

The thought of Venerable Xiahuang and Bai Luoxue learning this news, their faces turning ashen with despair, brought a smile to his face.

He saw Xiahuang Shang’s excited, fiery gaze fixed on the maps. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, "Brother Xiahuang, since you already have two of the keys and only need this one... I’ll give you the map to the core region."

"What?"

Xiahuang Shang stared at Hong Yu, momentarily stunned.

’He had just finished explaining the value of the Divine Luo Secret Realm, and had been wondering how to negotiate with Hong Yu, what price he could offer in exchange for the key.’

’He never expected Hong Yu to just give it to him?’

Looking into Hong Yu’s sincere, clear eyes, something stirred in Xiahuang Shang’s heart.

If before he had been protecting Hong Yu simply because his father had instructed him to build a good relationship, now he was genuinely moved. At this moment, he truly saw Hong Yu as a friend—no, a brother.

A resolute glint appeared in his eyes. Xiahuang Shang pushed the box back to Hong Yu. "Younger Brother Hong, there’s no need to distinguish between us. You hold onto the map. After the True Dragon War, we’ll go to the Divine Luo Secret Realm together!"

Seeing that Xiahuang Shang was being genuine, not just making a polite, empty gesture, Hong Yu was moved as well.

He nodded firmly. "Alright. After the True Dragon War, we’ll brave the Divine Luo Secret Realm together!"

"Deal!"

The two brothers slapped their palms together.

Then they both burst into laughter.

Afterward, Hong Yu stored away the entire estate. The Purple Thunder Winged Flood Dragon had exhausted nearly all of its treasures trying to overcome its Tier Seven Thunder Tribulation, leaving the treasury practically empty.

The estate itself, however, was quite impressive.

Hong Yu used a Secret Technique to store it away, placing it within the Profound Celestial Secret Realm.

The massive estate now sat in a landscape of pristine mountains and clear waters. Hong Yu now had a safe place to call his own—a veritable Peach Blossom Spring, free from all disturbances.

He even began to imagine finding his parents and sister, reviving Beichen Celestial Frost, and then moving his entire family into the Profound Celestial Secret Realm to live in peace and happiness.

’Of course, that’s still a long way off.’

Hong Yu took a deep breath. He and Xiahuang Shang returned to the Yellow Heaven Battleship, and the massive vessel crossed the Sumeru Sea, heading back to the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom Imperial Capital.

By the time their party arrived back at the Xiahuang Ancient Kingdom Imperial Capital, many factions and powerful experts, having already received news of their return, were waiting for them.

It seemed someone had sent word of Hong Yu’s deeds ahead of them.

The news spread like wildfire, growing more exaggerated with each telling, until his deeds were mythologized into the stuff of legends.

"Tearing an Evil-eyed White Tiger apart with his bare hands!"

"Battling a Purple Lightning Thunder Winged Flood Dragon empty-handed!"

"Cleaving an Unparalleled Genius in two with an axe, and so on..."

In short, upon his return, Hong Yu was no longer the nobody he was when he’d left. He had become the center of everyone’s attention.

His fame even eclipsed that of Venerable Xiahuang, the foremost among the Unparalleled Geniuses.

This left Venerable Xiahuang, Bai Luoxue, and their followers looking utterly dejected. Furious but helpless, they slunk away in disgrace.

Hong Yu found it difficult to adjust to this sudden, intense enthusiasm from the crowd.

As he was walking, the crowd suddenly surged forward, and a group of no fewer than five hundred young women rushed out—though it was a mixed bag, with quite a few ’beasts’ among the beauties.

But their goal was singular...

"Hong Yu, Hong Yu, I love you, like a mouse loves rice!"

"Hong Yu, I want to have your babies! A whole litter of them!" one of the ’beasts’ roared.

A brawny-looking woman with a surprisingly graceful figure but a face that could stop a clock picked her nose and declared, "Hey, Hong Yu! I’ve decided you’re going to be the father of my children. Come on, carry me home. We’re heading for the bridal chamber tonight!"

"Hong Yu, you’re so handsome! You’re definitely going to become one of the new Unparalleled Geniuses! Only you are worthy of me!"

The gaggle of fangirls was feverishly passionate.

Hong Yu, however, felt a massive headache coming on.

He grabbed Xiahuang Shang, leaped into the air, and beat a hasty, undignified retreat.

Xiahuang Shang summoned his Golden War Chariot. The two climbed aboard and soared into the sky, finally finding some peace and quiet.

"Hahaha..."

Seeing Hong Yu drenched in sweat, Xiahuang Shang let out a carefree laugh.

Hong Yu shot him an exasperated glare. "What’s so funny? I’m about to cry over here."

"Haha, I guess being too popular isn’t always a good thing!"

Xiahuang Shang said with a smile, but then his expression turned serious as he recalled something. "Oh, right, Younger Brother Hong. I may have removed the Blood Corpse Insects from Feng Xue Xin and Young Master Yeban, but their meridians are severely damaged. I’m afraid their cultivation is lost. I’ll head to the Imperial Palace now and beseech my father to grant them a Divine Pill."

But Hong Yu just smiled and shook his head. "There’s no need. I have another idea for their injuries."

"Oh?"

Xiahuang Shang gave Hong Yu a questioning look.

’He had examined Feng Xue Xin and Young Master Yeban on the journey here. Their recovery was impossible unless they could get a Seventh Grade Divine Pill, the Black Jade Discontinuation Pill!’

’Hong Yu actually has a solution?’

’Could he possibly be able to refine a Seventh Grade Divine Pill himself?’

Hong Yu just smiled mysteriously. "I have my ways."

"Very well."

Xiahuang Shang didn’t press the matter, but he was curious to see what method Hong Yu had in mind.

He paused, then looked at Hong Yu again. "By the way, Younger Brother Hong, I’ve already had a formal notice of visit sent to Zhu Ling’Er, the Evil Fire Phoenix. Once we receive her reply, I’ll accompany you to her residence. Out of respect for me, she shouldn’t make things too difficult for you and Little Chenxi."

"Then I must thank you, Brother Xiahuang!"

Xiahuang Shang shook his head. "We’re brothers. There’s no need for thanks."

Hong Yu nodded. They had already arrived at Xiahuang Shang’s mansion and entered a private chamber.

Hong Yu sat cross-legged and meditated for half a day. When he opened his eyes, the unconscious forms of Feng Xue Xin and Young Master Yeban lay before him.

Looking at their wretched state, Hong Yu took a deep breath. A crazed, determined glint appeared in his eyes as he murmured, "Senior Brother Feng, Yeban, not only will I restore you to your former selves, I will give you the power to vie for the rank of Unparalleled Genius!"

With that, Hong Yu waved his hand, conjuring a massive dark shadow. He began to implement the Secret Technique he had devised on their journey back...