Immortal Martial Emperor

THUMP!

A faint heartbeat echoed from within the young man’s chest, a chest that had long since lost both consciousness and a pulse.

The young man’s heartbeat remained incredibly faint. In fact, aside from the occasional, subtle pulse driven by the Heart of Tai Sui, there were no other signs of life.

He had completely lost all vital signs.

Six hours later, the faint sound of a heartbeat came from the young man’s body once more.

But just as before, the slight beat was followed by a long silence, devoid of any other sign of life.

Another six hours passed before the sound of a heartbeat rang out, only to fall silent once more.

This cycle repeated for three days, after which the period of silence between each beat grew shorter, shrinking to five hours.

After another three days, Hong Yu’s heart would beat once every four hours or so.

In this repetitive cycle, a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Over the course of the month, the young man’s heart began to beat more frequently. And surprisingly, a trace of vitality returned to the face of the young man who should have been devoid of life.

In stark contrast, the Thousand-Year Tai Sui grew weaker and weaker.

By now, its Heart of Tai Sui had shown no signs of life for an entire day.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Suddenly, the young man’s heart began to beat faster and faster, and his face flushed a deep red.

And then...

The young man, who had been unconscious for a full month, suddenly opened his eyes. They were filled with confusion and bewilderment.

He looked around, as curious and bewildered as a newborn infant.

It wasn’t until his gaze fell upon the black Yama Shuttle piercing his chest that his expression began to focus. His vacant pupils sharpened, and a spark of life returned to them.

"Where is this?"

"Who am I?"

"Right, this is... inside the Thousand-Year Tai Sui..."

"My name is... Hong Yu?"

"How did I get here?"

His intermittent muttering was filled with confusion, hesitation, and the occasional flash of insight as his thoughts gradually grew clearer and more distinct.

"The Tianmu Mountain Range? The Guiyuan Sect? Qi Tianbao? The Yama Shuttle?"

His once-vacant eyes gradually sharpened, and his breathing grew ragged.

Hong Yu trembled. As his black pupils constricted, they flashed with an icy light and a furious flame that burned like the scorching sun. "I remember now. I remember everything. Damn you, Qi Tianbao! And that despicable Wang Fei..."

Rage, a towering, overwhelming rage, flooded Hong Yu’s body and soul.

He finally remembered what Qi Tianbao had said after grievously wounding him with the Yama Shuttle.

’So this was all Wang Fei’s plot. She used the Yama Shuttle to get rid of me, and then she’d go after Beichen Celestial Frost and Little Feng...’

The moment he recalled Qi Tianbao saying Wang Fei would make Beichen Celestial Frost and Little Feng suffer a fate worse than death, the furious flame in Hong Yu’s eyes transformed into cold killing intent. "No! I absolutely will not let that happen! I won’t allow it!"

His furious roar echoed throughout the cave.

After his outburst, Hong Yu was suddenly overcome by a wave of dizziness.

’I’m this weak? The Yama Shuttle... It truly lives up to its reputation as a Celestial Level assassination weapon, one said to be capable of killing even Primordial Core Realm experts. Still, I was incredibly lucky...’

Hong Yu let out a wistful sigh.

Logically, the Yama Shuttle was a Celestial Level assassination weapon capable of killing even a Primordial Core Realm expert.

Yet Hong Yu had managed to survive by a stroke of luck, and the most important reason for this was the Heart of Tai Sui.

When the Yama Shuttle pierced Hong Yu, it had also pierced the Heart of Tai Sui, linking them together.

The most feared aspect of the Yama Shuttle wasn’t its destructive power, but the terrifying poison it carried.

If it had only struck Hong Yu, he would have absorbed all the poison and surely died!

However...

The Yama Shuttle had also struck the Heart of Tai Sui.

The Heart of Tai Sui had absorbed the vast majority of the Yama Shuttle’s poison.

Furthermore, the Thousand-Year Tai Sui possessed terrifying regenerative abilities. Even as the Yama Shuttle was destroying it, the Thousand-Year Tai Sui was repairing the damage.

As a result, the Yama Shuttle’s poison was gradually absorbed by the Thousand-Year Tai Sui, bringing the great beast to the brink of death.

With the Tai Sui counteracting its effects, the rate at which the Yama Shuttle destroyed Hong Yu’s body naturally slowed to a crawl.

Moreover, there was another, even more crucial point.

Before being struck by the Yama Shuttle, Hong Yu had attacked the Heart of Tai Sui with the Ice Divine Blade. The Yama Shuttle then pierced both their hearts, creating an unseen connection between them.

Because of this, Hong Yu had gained a sliver of a chance to survive!

’But my heart was almost shattered. Even though the Heart of Tai Sui has helped repair most of it, it’s still far too fragile. And now the Heart of Tai Sui is growing weaker... I’m afraid it won’t be able to hold on for much longer.’

Even with the incredible Life Force of a Thousand-Year Tai Sui, it was still unable to withstand the Yama Shuttle’s terrifying poison.

On top of that, the attacks from powerful experts like Xue De and Tie Heng had also inflicted heavy injuries upon the Thousand-Year Tai Sui. It simply couldn’t last much longer.

At this thought, a flicker appeared in Hong Yu’s eyes. ’Once the Thousand-Year Tai Sui dies, I’ll lose the protection of its regenerative power. When that happens, I’ll still be doomed... My only chance at survival is to fully recover my own body before the Thousand-Year Tai Sui dies completely.’

’But...’

Hong Yu looked at the Yama Shuttle that pierced half of his heart. ’What in the world am I supposed to do?’

"Little One, get out here!"

"Yawn... Hong Yu, you’re finally awake, huh?" Little One said lazily.

Hong Yu was speechless. "I’m the master of the Profound Celestial Tower, aren’t I? Weren’t you the least bit worried about my safety?"

"First, let me correct you. Until you open the Third Layer of the Profound Celestial Tower, you’re not, strictly speaking, its true master. Besides..."

Little One, still holding his Big Smoking Pipe and puffing out clouds of smoke, continued, "You have a Soul Contract with the Profound Celestial Tower. If you had died, I would have sensed it long ago and taken the tower with me."

"Fine!"

Hong Yu shook his head helplessly. "Little One, I have something I need to ask you!"

"Ten thousand pieces of Third-grade Yuan Ore!"

Little One waggled three fingers.

Hong Yu was stunned. "Where am I supposed to get that much Elemental Ore?"

"Don’t you worry. I’ve already checked out the situation outside. Once you recover and leave the Thousand-Year Tai Sui’s body, the benefits you’ll get will far exceed ten thousand Elemental Ores! If I weren’t so free-spirited, loyal, and righteous, I would’ve demanded a whole lot more!"

Little One boasted, shaking his head smugly.

Hong Yu thought for a moment. ’Little One may be a mischievous troublemaker, but he’s never been careless when it comes to important matters.’

With that in mind, Hong Yu nodded. "Alright, I promise!"

"Now that’s more like it! Hehe. To be honest, Hong Yu, even I can’t help but be a little jealous of your good fortune!"

Little One chuckled, then explained, "The Heart of Tai Sui has already been corroded by the Yama Shuttle’s poison. Once it becomes fully saturated, you’ll become the shuttle’s next target. Therefore, your most urgent task is to sever your connection to the Heart of Tai Sui and then cultivate the Heaven-Swallowing Divine Technique as quickly as possible to devour the Spiritual Power it contains."

"Although the Heart of Tai Sui itself has been damaged by the poison, it was what allowed a mindless Tai Sui to grow into a conscious, mobile Thousand-Year Tai Sui. You can just imagine how much terrifying Spiritual Power it must contain."

Little One said patiently, "Hong Yu, remember this: if you want to live, you must cultivate the Heaven-Swallowing Divine Technique to the Peak of the First Layer within three days of severing your connection to the Heart of Tai Sui. Your Spiritual Power must reach the level of an Early-stage Primordial Core Realm expert. Only then can you use your Spiritual Power to maintain your body’s functions and begin to heal your heart."

"This is your only chance to live. A sliver of hope that will vanish in an instant!"

Little One said gravely.

Hong Yu fell silent.

’Reach the Peak of the First Layer of the Heaven-Swallowing Divine Technique within three days?’

’Is that even possible?’

After all, when he first started cultivating the Heaven-Swallowing Divine Technique, it had taken him several days just to reach the Initial Stage of the First Layer, and that was only with the help of a Spirit Communication Pill.

’And now I have to break through the Middle Stage and Late Stage to reach the Peak in just three days?’

Hong Yu took a deep breath, his eyes hardening with determination.

’It’s do or die!’

’Life or death, it all comes down to this!’

’To sever the connection with the Heart of Tai Sui, I have to pull my body off the Yama Shuttle...’

Hong Yu’s gaze narrowed in concentration.

Over the past month, his heart, flesh, and blood had grown around the Yama Shuttle. Trying to pull himself free now would mean enduring the excruciating, heart-rending agony of tearing his own flesh.

’It would be an agony comparable to death itself.’

’But...’

’When faced with life and death, what is a little torture?’

’I have to live. My parents and Yaoyao are still waiting for me in the Desert North Wilderness. Tianshuang is waiting for me, too. I absolutely cannot die!’

Hong Yu took a deep breath, his gaze hardening with resolve. ’Then... I’ll bet everything on this one sliver of hope!’

...

Ever since the Thousand-Year Tai Sui’s rampage in the Tianmu Mountain Range, the event had captured the attention of the entire Qin Kingdom, and even the Southern Ten Nations Alliance.

With so many powerful experts paying attention, news of the incident in the Tianmu Mountain Range gradually spread far and wide.

Among all the news, three items in particular garnered the most attention.

First, an Elemental Stone Vein had been discovered within the Tianmu Mountain Range—one that was said to be the largest and richest in all the Southern Ten Nations!

This news shocked the entire Southern Ten Nations Alliance, attracting the attention of countless factions and powerful experts who vied for control. In the end, it was carved up between several major powers: the Guiyuan Sect, the Iron Soldier Pavilion, the Qin Royal Family, and the Yaoyue Palace of the Yaoyue Kingdom.

Second, during the struggle to divide the profits from the Tianmu Mountain Range’s new vein, Wang Ba had personally intervened and grievously wounded Beichen Ba.

Beichen Ba was no match for Wang Ba and was severely beaten. If the old patriarch of the Tie Family hadn’t stepped in at the last moment, it’s doubtful whether Beichen Ba would have even made it back alive.

Even so, though his life was spared, Beichen Ba couldn’t hope to recover his peak combat strength for at least three to five years.

Beichen Ba’s grave injuries left the Beichen Commerce Association in an extremely vulnerable position, making it a target for countless other covetous factions.

The final piece of news, of course, was that Hong Yu, the strongest genius of the Qin Kingdom’s new generation, had unfortunately perished in the battle with the Thousand-Year Tai Sui!

These three stories dominated conversations for a full month.

From the lowliest street peddler to the highest prince, everyone was discussing these three events in their spare time.

Of course...

But all things fade in popularity, and a month was long enough for this news to gradually fade from public memory.

Just as everyone was lamenting the lack of any new bombshells and finding life exceedingly dull...

A piece of news from the Guiyuan Sect sent the entire Qin Kingdom spiraling into a new frenzy...