Dominator Emperor

Chapter 75: Chapter 75: An Army at the Gates (Part 1)

Chapter 75: An Army at the Gates (Part 1)

Marquis Liezhan’s arrival at the Xiyan Ancient Sect caused quite a stir. The news spread like wildfire throughout the Treasure Sacred Upper Country, and for a time, countless sects and lineages within the Upper Country craned their necks in anticipation.

Marquis Liezhan had been personally ennobled by the Human Emperor of the Treasure Sacred Upper Country. As a War General of the Upper Country, he largely represented its will—and by extension, the will of the Holy Heaven Sect.

Now that Marquis Liezhan was leading a campaign in person, did this mean the Holy Heaven Sect was finally going to make a move against the Xiyan Ancient Sect?

"Perhaps the Xiyan Ancient Sect has fallen so far it can never recover, and the Holy Heaven Sect has finally raised its gleaming butcher’s knife," an Elder from another sect mused.

Some old-timers who knew the inside story of the war back then were also watching the Xiyan Ancient Sect. One said, "It seems Liu Sanjian really is dead. The Holy Heaven Sect is finally making its move."

Liu Sanjian had been a figure of great renown back in his day. Legend said he was an incredible genius. Some claimed he was the disciple of the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s Young Emperor Mu, while others said he was the Young Emperor’s grand-disciple. Rumor had it that in the war thirty thousand years ago, Liu Sanjian had personally taken charge, holding his own against the Holy Heaven Sect’s Elder Ancestor. Even though the Xiyan Ancient Sect suffered a disastrous defeat, the Holy Heaven Sect was said to be so wary of Liu Sanjian that they never dared to attack the sect’s headquarters!

Marquis Liezhan’s campaign against the Xiyan Ancient Sect sparked a great deal of speculation among the other sects and lineages. The Xiyan Ancient Sect was, after all, an Emperor Immortal Gate that had inherited the Emperor Techniques and Emperor’s Treasures of Mingren Immortal Emperor. If even one Emperor Technique or Emperor’s Treasure were to find its way into the world, it would be enough to make anyone green with envy.

Although it had long been rumored that many of the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s Emperor Techniques had been lost, the Emperor Techniques and Great Sage Techniques it still possessed were enough to make countless other sects see red.

At this moment, many major sects were discussing in private. Perhaps this campaign by Marquis Liezhan was for the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s Emperor Techniques, or maybe even for its Heavenly Destiny Secret Skill.

The warship halted just outside the Xiyan Ancient Sect. The faces of everyone in the sect, from top to bottom, fell. In an instant, the atmosphere grew incredibly tense, and every disciple entered a state of battle readiness!

At this time, a man stood up on the warship. He was a middle-aged man, burly and powerfully built, clad in battle armor like a general dressed for a campaign.

The man had the brow of a leopard and the forehead of a tiger, his fierce, round eyes radiating a menacing light. His aura was overwhelming. When he stood up, he was like a mountain of gold, a pillar of jade. His Blood Qi surged forth unrestrained, rocketing into the sky like a colossal wave. Terrifying blood rings materialized around him. Standing there, he resembled a blood-red leopard, poised to devour its prey, exuding a stench of blood that could be smelled from afar.

This was Marquis Liezhan, War General of the Treasure Sacred Upper Country and a fearsome figure under the Human Emperor’s command. He was not just a veteran Prince, but also a bloodthirsty powerhouse.

"Hah, Brother Gu, I have long heard that your esteemed sect is an Emperor Immortal Gate. This General has always held Emperor Techniques in the highest esteem. Hearing that your sect possesses peerless Emperor Techniques has made my heart itch with curiosity. Therefore, I have come today to request your instruction and witness for myself the splendor of Mingren Immortal Emperor’s invincible Emperor Techniques!" Marquis Liezhan stood upon his warship, laughing boisterously, his aura utterly domineering.

Marquis Liezhan got straight to the point, openly declaring his intent to "request instruction." This made the faces of everyone in the Xiyan Ancient Sect turn extremely ugly. Such arrogance, such blatant bullying—it was as if he saw them as a sect with no one of worth.

As for the cultivators from the many sects who had rushed over to spectate, they secretly exchanged glances. Marquis Liezhan claimed he was here to "request instruction," but they feared he was truly here for the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s Emperor Techniques.

"HEY!" Before Great Elder Gu Tieshou could respond to Marquis Liezhan’s challenge, Second Elder Cao Xiong leaped out and bellowed, "Brat from the Lie Family, don’t get cocky! The Xiyan Ancient Sect is not a place where you can act so presumptuously! Today, I shall teach you a lesson!" As his words fell, Cao Xiong’s Life Palace appeared in the sky, a True Artifact hovering above his head, as he took a single step onto the warship.

With Cao Xiong being the first to accept the challenge, the other Elders of the Xiyan Ancient Sect couldn’t help but exchange a look.

Cao Xiong met the challenge, but Marquis Liezhan merely shot him a cold, disdainful glance. "A mere Heroic Hero dares to spout such nonsense before me? Scram!" As his word fell, a Blood Banner appeared above Marquis Liezhan’s head and slashed straight down.

The moment the Blood Banner appeared, it seemed to slice across ten thousand miles. As the banner unfurled in the sky, it was like a sea of blood blotting out the heavens. Innumerable heads bobbed within it, and their anguished wails shook the land for a thousand miles. There was no telling how many people this Blood Banner had killed, how many cultivators’ lives it had devoured.

"The Blood Banner! Marquis Liezhan’s True Artifact!" Seeing the banner slash down, many people’s faces paled as they cried out in shock.

"OPEN!" Cao Xiong roared, his True Artifact soaring up to meet the Blood Banner. With a deafening BOOM, even after borrowing the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, Cao Xiong was still no match for Marquis Liezhan’s single strike.

Cao Xiong was sent flying by the banner, spewing a mouthful of blood. THUD, THUD, THUD—he staggered backward. Although Cao Xiong’s Dao Practice was not shallow, and he could be called the second-strongest master in the Xiyan Ancient Sect, he was still leagues away from a Prince.

"A mere Heroic Hero is nothing to speak of. An ant dares to run its mouth? You’re courting death." Marquis Liezhan swept a cold, disdainful gaze over him.

"Brat of the Lie Family, I’ll fight you to the death!" Cao Xiong’s face flushed crimson with rage as he roared furiously.

However, Great Elder Gu Tieshou stopped him and instructed the other elders, "Escort Junior Brother Cao back to heal. Junior Brother Cao, you are not his match. Let your senior brother handle this."

Cao Xiong still wanted to fight, but the other elders persuaded him to stand down. He had no choice but to retreat resentfully to tend to his wounds.

At this moment, Great Elder Gu Tieshou stared coldly at Marquis Liezhan, his eyes sharpening. With a thunderous BOOM, the Great Elder’s Blood Qi erupted like a vast, roiling sea. Runes coiled around his body, but even more terrifying was the Kunpeng that materialized above his head. With a long cry, the Kunpeng leaped into the Celestial Vault, its immense form seeming to crush the very heavens.

The Kunpeng looked down upon the world, its gaze sweeping over all living things. Its terrifying, peerless aura bore down on all enemies. As one of the most powerful beings in existence, even a single wisp of the Kunpeng’s aura could collapse the heavens and the earth!

Facing a powerful foe, the Great Elder held nothing back, directly revealing his full strength as a Prince.

"The Kunpeng Six Transformations..." Seeing the Kunpeng that seemed to crush the Celestial Vault, the many powerful cultivators who had come to watch couldn’t help but tremble inwardly. ’An Emperor Technique is truly an Emperor Technique,’ they thought, ’utterly peerless. Even the most powerful Great Sage Techniques cannot compare!’

With the Kunpeng pressing down on the sky, everyone felt a sense of suffocation. The power of a complete Emperor Technique, when unleashed by a Prince, was simply monstrous. Another Prince of the same level, if they hadn’t cultivated an Emperor Technique, would likely have to give it a wide berth!

"You want a fight? This old man will give you one!" At this moment, Great Elder Gu Tieshou’s domineering aura surged. As an heir to an Emperor’s Lineage, even if his innate talent was lacking, he was by no means a coward.

As his words fell, the Great Elder closed the distance to Marquis Liezhan in a single step. The marquis’s expression changed drastically. With a furious roar, he brought his Blood Banner crashing down. The strike tore through the Void, and an endless Sea of Blood surged forth, attempting to drown Gu Tieshou and subject him to refinement.

Kunpeng Soaring in the Void! The Kunpeng flicked its fish-like tail, like a giant fish leaping from the ocean. PENG! With a single whip of its massive tail, it effortlessly shattered Marquis Liezhan’s Sea of Blood and struck the Blood Banner, sending the marquis staggering backward. THUD, THUD, THUD!

"KILL!" Marquis Liezhan’s expression turned foul. He let out a furious roar and brandished his Blood Banner. With eighteen sweeping motions, blood-red shadows swirled, and one after another, giant figures strode out from the banner. Each Giant was ten thousand zhang tall, their earth-shattering roars shaking the very heavens.

"The Blood Giant Totem!" Seeing the Blood Giants emerge and stomp across the land, everyone’s expression changed. This was the totem of Marquis Liezhan’s True Artifact! Its power was supreme; there was no telling how many Princes had been slain by this very move.

"OPEN!" As the giants charged, stomping the earth to pieces, Gu Tieshou showed no fear. He manifested the Kunpeng Six Transformations. The Kunpeng let out a long cry and dove down. Nothing could stop the fish-tailed, roc-bodied creature. Its massive head rammed into the Blood Giants, and one by one, they shattered. When its giant claws tore through them, the Blood Giants seemed as fragile as paper.

With a loud PA—, the Kunpeng easily shattered the totem of Marquis Liezhan’s True Artifact. When the Kunpeng’s fish-like tail swept down, Marquis Liezhan was completely unable to block it. He spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying a thousand miles.

Everyone who witnessed this scene gasped. The members of the Xiyan Ancient Sect, from top to bottom, were greatly encouraged and broke out in cheers.

"Emperor Techniques... they’re too terrifying! Gu Tieshou didn’t even draw his own True Artifact, yet he defeated Marquis Liezhan’s True Artifact with an Emperor Technique alone! This... this is horrifying!" The faces of the spectating cultivators, whether they were lords of a region or leaders of a sect, all changed drastically.

"The Kunpeng Six Transformations is said to be the strongest Core Emperor Technique created by Mingren Immortal Emperor. This is absolutely terrifying!" Seeing this, countless people’s expressions changed.

Today, they had finally witnessed the might of an Emperor Technique. Even as their faces paled in shock, their hearts began to pound with desire. An Emperor Technique... it was truly a Heaven-Defying artifact!

"You are not good enough!" At this moment, Gu Tieshou’s dominant aura pierced the heavens. He instantly caught up to Marquis Liezhan, and the Kunpeng transformed into a giant foot that stomped down viciously toward the marquis.

"RETRACT!" Just then, Marquis Liezhan let out a long cry and summoned a divine map. The map descended, instantly transforming into an endless landscape of mountains and rivers that sucked Gu Tieshou right into it.

The Divine Map transformed into a world of mountains and rivers. Inside the vast landscape, rumbling sounds echoed. Gu Tieshou could be faintly seen leaping into the air, his Kunpeng traversing the world within. A True Artifact now hovered above his head as he swept out in all directions. He tried to fight his way out of the landscape several times, but he was suppressed by an array formation.

"Inside my Yangshou Mountain and River Painting, let’s see what kind of trouble you can stir up!" Marquis Liezhan snorted coldly. In the blink of an eye, he also stepped into the landscape, taking control of the array to battle Gu Tieshou, who was now trapped within the Divine Map.

"The Yangshou Mountain and River Painting..." Seeing Gu Tieshou trapped by the Array Map, many were secretly astonished. A watching Sect Leader said in shock, "I heard the Lie Family has an incredible Ancient Saint who is a master of arrays. He supposedly comprehended an Ancient Array and used it to refine a Divine Map called the ’Yangshou Mountain and River Painting.’ It is said that if this Array Map were to be unleashed at its full potential, it could refine not just an Ancient Saint, but possibly even a Saint Emperor!"