Free Web NovelChapter 82: Chapter 82: The Human Emperor’s Might (Part 2)
Chapter 82: The Might of a Human Emperor (Part 2)
"If the Holy Heaven Sect wants to start a war with our sect, they’d have to think twice," the Sun Demon Emperor’s voice rang out. "When two tigers fight, one is bound to be injured. Their nation is only thirty thousand years old, yet they dare to call themselves an Upper Country. Let’s see them talk after they’ve actually earned the strength of one."
Whether in the Great Middle Realm or the lands of Human Emperors, there were clear standards for the titles of nations. Minor countries on the frontiers, those not worth ranking, were of no account. True great nations had three classifications: Jiang Country, Upper Country, and Ancient Country.
Generally speaking, Ancient Countries possessed the greatest foundational strength, followed by Upper Countries, and then Jiang Countries. As for minor countries, they were not included in this ranking.
These national titles also had their own criteria. For example, a nation not founded by an Emperor Immortal Gate was called a Jiang Country. A nation founded by an Emperor Immortal Gate was called an Upper Country. If the founding Emperor Immortal Gate had produced two or more Immortal Emperors, then it would be called an Ancient Country.
Aside from producing two Immortal Emperors, some nations could be called Ancient Countries if they were exceptionally old and had an immense influence.
For example, the nation founded by the Xiyan Ancient Sect in the past was called the Xiyan Ancient Country. This was because its founding dated back to the early years of the Age of Emperors, and Mingren Immortal Emperor was the first Immortal Emperor to usher in that age. The Xiyan Ancient Country spanned an entire era. Thus, even though the Xiyan Ancient Sect never produced a second Immortal Emperor, it was still called an Ancient Country.
In truth, the nation founded by the Nine Saints Demon Gate was also extremely ancient. However, its influence was far from comparable to that of the Xiyan Ancient Sect in its heyday, so they only referred to themselves as a Jiang Country.
As for the Treasure Sacred Upper Country, by standard criteria, it did not qualify to be called an Upper Country; at best, it was merely a Jiang Country. However, relying on the fact that the Holy Heaven Sect’s Elder Ancestor was still in the human world and claimed to be invincible, they styled themselves an Upper Country.
Of course, many people were wary of the Holy Heaven Sect’s Elder Ancestor and didn’t dare to dispute the title.
The Sun Demon Emperor’s words shook all the Elders present. They couldn’t help but exchange glances. After a moment of contemplation, one elder said, "Your Majesty, in terms of national strength, our Ancient Ox Territory may not be weaker than the Treasure Sacred Upper Country. However, the Elder Ancestor of the Holy Heaven Sect is a figure to be feared."
The mention of the Holy Heaven Sect’s Elder Ancestor sent a shudder through the hearts of all the Elders present! The man was simply too heaven-defying. Never mind the Great Middle Realm; even across the entire Human Emperor Realm, the Holy Heaven Sect’s Elder Ancestor was still a figure to be feared.
"If Young Emperor Mu were still around today, how could it be the Holy Heaven Sect’s Elder Ancestor’s turn to dominate the Great Middle Realm?" another elder remarked with a sigh.
The mention of Young Emperor Mu still stirred people’s emotions, even after fifty thousand years. Young Emperor Mu was worthy of being called the Revival Lord of the Xiyan Ancient Sect. After Mingren Immortal Emperor, it was once believed that Young Emperor Mu would become the sect’s second Immortal Emperor.
Young Emperor Mu was indeed heaven-defying and invincible. Before Ta Kong Immortal Emperor shouldered the Celestial Mandate, he was the emperor’s strongest rival. Rumor has it that in his youth, when he contended with Ta Kong Immortal Emperor for the Celestial Mandate, their record was three wins and three losses. What a glorious battle record that was!
"According to reliable sources, the Elder Ancestor of the Holy Heaven Sect is still alive. Although he hasn’t appeared in public for nearly thirty thousand years, he is definitely still in the human world," an elder said. "If the Holy Heaven Sect’s Elder Ancestor emerges, I’m afraid our Nine Saints Demon Gate would find it difficult to be his match."
No matter who it was, the mention of the Holy Heaven Sect’s Elder Ancestor inspired a great deal of fear. Thus, as the discussion turned to this topic, the expressions of the Nine Saints Demon Gate’s Elders all became grave.
"The Elder Ancestor of the Holy Heaven Sect..." the Sun Demon Emperor said slowly. "The Tough Dao Era has already passed, and a new era has begun. The Holy Heaven Sect’s Elder Ancestor is in his twilight years. The future belongs to the young."
The Tough Dao Era referred to the last thirty thousand years. Fifty thousand years ago, Ta Kong Immortal Emperor shouldered the Celestial Mandate, became an Immortal Emperor, and reigned over the universe. However, for some unknown reason, the Black Dragon King suddenly went on a rampage thirty thousand years ago and forcefully seized the Celestial Mandate.
It is said that in his battle against Ta Kong Immortal Emperor, the Black Dragon King shattered the Celestial Vault. Rumor has it that the Celestial Mandate was ultimately torn asunder in that fight. From then on, the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi was depleted, making cultivation incomparably difficult for cultivators. It was for this very reason that this period was named the Tough Dao Era. This era tormented the cultivators of the Nine Realms for a full thirty thousand years. Only in the last decade did the Tough Dao Era finally pass, allowing the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi to recover.
At this point, the Sun Demon Emperor paused before saying, "I have high hopes for Li Qiye. His future potential is second to none."
When the Sun Demon Emperor said this, the elders present couldn’t help but exchange glances. One elder, not in complete agreement, spoke up, "Your Majesty, although Li Qiye is somewhat uncanny, he possesses a Mortal Body, Mortal Fate, and Mortal Wheel. With such talent and aptitude, it will ultimately be difficult for him to accomplish anything great."
"Indeed, Your Majesty. In terms of physique and Life Wheel, Shuangyan is countless times stronger than him," another elder couldn’t help but add.
In fact, not all the elders had been in favor of Li Shuangyan being sent as an envoy to the Xiyan Ancient Sect. However, the Sun Demon Emperor had overruled all objections to make it happen.
"I am not mistaken in my judgment of him," the Sun Demon Emperor said slowly.
The Sun Demon Emperor’s words made the elders present fall silent. The Sun Demon Emperor held an extremely high status within the Nine Saints Demon Gate. Under normal circumstances, the elders would not refute His Majesty’s opinion.
"But what if the Holy Heaven Sect’s Elder Ancestor emerges?" one elder couldn’t help but ask, still worried.
"The Holy Heaven Sect has its Elder Ancestor, but we have our four Guardian Gods! With Li Qiye’s support, we will have the support of our four Guardian Gods!" the Sun Demon Emperor declared in a deep voice. "Then we’ll have to see who is stronger, the Holy Heaven Sect’s Elder Ancestor or our invincible Guardian Gods! Our Primordial Ancestor was a peerless Great Demon of his generation. The fact that he appointed four Stone People to be the Guardian Gods of our Nine Saints Demon Gate is proof enough of their immense power."
These words made the elders fall silent for a long time. To this day, no one knew exactly how powerful the four Stone People were. It was, in all likelihood, a mystery.
The news that the Xiyan Ancient Sect had forcefully executed Dong Shenglong and Marquis Liezhan spread like a tempest throughout the entire Treasure Sacred Upper Country! For a time, it shocked every cultivator and every sect within the country.
The fact that the Human Emperor’s will had been annihilated, in particular, sent unending tremors through the hearts of the leaders of all the various sects and schools.
Wary of the Treasure Sacred Upper Country’s power, no one dared to discuss the matter openly. In private, however, many people were talking, all with differing opinions.
’Could Liu Sanjian really still be alive?’ an old Sect Leader who knew the inside story muttered to himself. ’In the last thirty thousand years, the Xiyan Ancient Sect has had so few Human Emperors you could count them on one hand. Besides Liu Sanjian, who else could be so heaven-defying?’
The thought of that giant hand easily annihilating the Human Emperor’s will made countless hearts sink. The power of that hand absolutely far surpassed that of a Human Emperor.
"The Xiyan Ancient Sect is rebelling against the heavens! They even dared to annihilate a Human Emperor’s will. Are they declaring war on the Treasure Sacred Upper Country?" a cultivator exclaimed in alarm.
Some important figures said thoughtfully, "Perhaps after thirty thousand years of silence, the Xiyan Ancient Sect wants to wash away the shame of the past and rebuild their Ancient Country."
"Although we don’t know who is backing the Xiyan Ancient Sect, I’m afraid there’s no hope for them to rebuild their Ancient Country. It’ll be a struggle for them to even protect their own lair," said an older generation Sect Leader who had witnessed the war thirty thousand years ago, shaking his head. "Back then, even when Liu Sanjian was alive, they couldn’t defend their Ancient Country, and the Xiyan Ancient Sect was ultimately forced to retreat to its old territory. The Elder Ancestor of the Holy Heaven Sect is still alive. Even if Liu Sanjian of the Xiyan Ancient Sect were also still alive, they would have no chance of defeating the Holy Heaven Sect and rebuilding their Ancient Country."
For a time, all sorts of discussions arose. Some people were watching from the sidelines, while others were sharpening their blades in anticipation. Although shattering the status quo of the Treasure Sacred Upper Country would be a fatal blow for some sects and cultivators, for others, it was the perfect opportunity to rise up and fish in troubled waters.
Annihilating the Human Emperor’s will sent the entire Xiyan Ancient Sect into an uproar. Before this, the Xiyan Ancient Sect wouldn’t have dared to contend with the Treasure Sacred Upper Country. The declining sect didn’t even dare to resist them! Yet today, they had actually annihilated the will of the Treasure Sacred Upper Country’s Human Emperor. This made the blood of every disciple, from the highest to the lowest, boil with excitement, allowing them to see a hope for their sect’s revival.
In truth, it wasn’t just the ordinary disciples of the Xiyan Ancient Sect who were shaken. Even the Guardians and the Five Great Elders were visibly stunned. This was something they could never have imagined.
Within the Xiyan Ancient Sect, Gu Tieshou was the strongest and could be called its number one expert. Yet, a single word—"Pardon"—from a Human Emperor was enough to intimidate him. However, forget a single word; now, even a Human Emperor’s will had been annihilated. In that moment, the five elders placed immeasurable hope in Li Qiye!
Back inside the sect, the Five Great Elders were all present, with Li Qiye seated among them. Today, Li Qiye was fully capable of sitting as an equal with the Five Great Elders. In fact, they now saw him as their Revival Lord!
"We shouldn’t get too happy," Li Qiye said unhurriedly during the meeting. "At the end of the day, our Xiyan Ancient Sect is still very weak. We lack powerful methods. In terms of strength, we are no match for the Treasure Sacred Upper Country or the Holy Heaven Sect."
Li Qiye’s words laid bare the truth of the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s situation, and the Five Great Elders had no objections. After their initial excitement, their hearts grew heavy. Besides a trump card like Li Qiye, they had no other cards to play.
"In terms of foundation, our Xiyan Ancient Sect is stronger than the Holy Heaven Sect," Li Qiye said. "Although the number of Emperor Techniques we currently possess is limited, it’s undeniable that we still have a vast number of Great Sage Techniques, Saint Emperor Techniques, and so on. Ultimately, we don’t lack cultivation techniques; what we lack are successors."
Although the Xiyan Ancient Sect had lost a large number of its Emperor Techniques, it was, after all, an Emperor Immortal Gate that had once produced countless Great Sages and Saint Emperors. It still possessed a vast trove of their techniques. In fact, the Great Sage and Saint Emperor techniques held by the Xiyan Ancient Sect were still coveted by innumerable cultivators and cultivator sects.
"We lack enlightened masters," Gu Tieshou finally said with a bitter smile. "It’s embarrassing to admit, but in truth, my martial brothers and I have essentially had to rely on ourselves, stumbling and fumbling our way through our cultivation."
