Chapter 39: People from the Realm of a Thousand Emperors

The unease in Ye Hanzhou’s heart grew ever stronger, but Qi Duanzi’s relentless assault left him no room to focus elsewhere. Pressed on all sides, he barely had time even to speak. The distance between the two was too great, and the thunderous sounds of their battle boomed like a storm, drowning out any chance for him to shout a warning. Even if he could, Luo Yuanhuang had already lost himself to bloodlust; no warning would reach him now.

“Are all of Ximo like this? Then let there be no more Ximo!” Luo Yuanhuang swept through his enemies alone. Some of the Ximo cultivators at the Qi Fusion stage tried to restrain him, while most surrounded him, but he showed not a trace of fear. Instead, his eyes flashed with a manic excitement.

“The teachings of the Emperor are indeed terrifying. No wonder he calls us all useless—he’s simply too powerful. He’s spent over a decade sleeping and eating, yet his cultivation has reached Qi Fusion…”

“And he’s right. Who else but him could be called a genius? The rest of us are just here to make up the numbers…”

Each word he spoke was laced with self-mockery, but with every sentence, his momentum swelled.

“So today, for his sake, let me cut down a few more of you useless ones. That way, next time he calls us trash, I’ll at least have an excuse to argue back…”

The Qi Fusion experts of Ximo who surrounded Luo Yuanhuang were caught in a complex turmoil of emotions. Was he truly going to slaughter them all just because of one man’s endless taunts?

“Die!” Luo Yuanhuang suddenly erupted, as if grasping the stars in his hand, crushing them with unstoppable force. The void trembled.

A crisp crack echoed—the sound of bone breaking. The man Luo Yuanhuang had seized fell dead, and the expressions of the Ximo cultivators changed instantly.

“All at once! Kill him!” someone among them roared, and several figures leapt forward from all sides, beams of dazzling light shooting toward Luo Yuanhuang.

“Trash!” Luo Yuanhuang cursed with cold composure. In an instant, a figure erupted behind him—an awe-inspiring presence with eyes cold as death, killing intent radiating from his gaze.

“Heaven’s Fist!”

With a single punch, mountains crumbled and stars reversed. The blast of wind was as sharp as blades, and the fist carried an aura of invincibility, crushing down upon his foes.

With a shattering boom, all the figures charging at him were instantly pulverized. For a moment, the sky fell silent, as though nothing remained beneath the heavens.

The warriors of Zhongtian and Ximo alike stared in stunned disbelief at Luo Yuanhuang. The shadow behind him faded with his punch, and then he himself surged forward once more.

In an instant, two more fell.

Xi Danyou’s expression turned flustered. The Ximo side had clearly lost the upper hand.

The warriors of the Great Zhou, seeing Luo Yuanhuang’s ferocity, cast off all hesitation. They fought with life and limb, every blow deadly, disregarding their own survival.

Zhong Yuanhua, seeing their side suddenly rally and sweep through the enemy, grinned with renewed confidence and poured every ounce of strength into his recovery.

Moments later, Ye Hanzhou suddenly sensed a tangible killing intent. It flashed by in an instant, but its reality made his expression change.

“Luo Yuanhuang, watch out!”

Qi Duanzi seized the opening, thrusting his sword straight at Ye Hanzhou’s heart. But Ye Hanzhou had anticipated the move—he twisted aside, avoiding the fatal blow, and quickly withdrew from the fight.

Meanwhile, on Luo Yuanhuang’s side, a black-robed figure appeared in a flash. A great hand wreathed in dark aura struck from behind.

In an instant, the blow landed.

Ye Hanzhou’s warning reached Luo Yuanhuang, but he had no time to fully defend himself. He narrowly dodged a mortal wound, yet the blow still struck his back, though not fatally.

Blood spurted from his lips. As if to show contempt for the sneak attacker, Luo Yuanhuang’s aura quickly faded, while from behind came a chilling, rasping voice.

“Heh heh… Even a blow like that won’t kill you, Luo Yuanhuang. You’re far tougher than that short-lived Luo Zhouwu.” The speaker was none other than Ming Jiuyin, shrouded head-to-toe in black, like an emissary from the underworld.

“Ming Jiuyin, is this the will of the Hall of Yellow Springs, or the Southern Barbarian Domain?” Luo Yuanhuang demanded.

“Does it matter?” Ming Jiuyin retorted, answering with a question of his own.

Luo Yuanhuang wiped the blood from his lips and his aura surged once more. “If the Hall of Yellow Springs seeks death, then I’ll show you why the Great Zhou reigns supreme—why the Emperor can make your elders call him grandfather!”

The fact that so many from the Hall of Yellow Springs called Ye Jiuyao “grandfather” was common knowledge—it was only that Luo Yuanhuang now brought it up again.

Yet Ming Jiuyin’s face grew ever darker. This was their greatest humiliation, and not to be mentioned, not even in passing—let alone spoken aloud like this.

With that, Ming Jiuyin’s energy erupted, forming a world-shattering momentum. A giant hand, as if plucking the stars from the sky, descended upon Luo Yuanhuang.

“Yuanhuang, together!” Ye Hanzhou, sword in hand, appeared at Luo Yuanhuang’s side. Qi Duanzi, his face twisted in a sly grin, was already beside Ming Jiuyin.

“Come, then!”

Both sides shouted as one. Supreme radiance swirled, vital energy roiling behind them like divine light. Killing intent raged, sword force tearing the void asunder.

“Slash!”

“Shatter!”

Ye Hanzhou and Luo Yuanhuang roared, one charging Ming Jiuyin, the other slashing at Qi Duanzi. Another fierce battle was about to erupt.

Zhong Yuanhua, feeling his energy restored, smiled with delight and soared into the sky, stepping onto the void.

Xi Danyou, watching Zhong Yuanhua’s sudden ascent, thought to himself, “This is bad!”

He immediately produced a talisman, ignited it with his energy, and in an instant it burned to ash. A wisp of blue smoke rose, twisting into a face.

“Master, help me!” the figure called, as if expecting this moment. His expression changed abruptly.

A terrifying power crossed the void, descending from the endless beyond in a heartbeat, enveloping everyone overhead.

“A mere backwater dares to kill my envoy?!”

The newcomer’s voice, deep as thunder, exploded across the sky. All present felt their eardrums sting, as if fluid were leaking from within.

“The Thousand Sovereigns Realm has come!” muttered Zhong Yuanhua—the only one present who understood what was happening.

“Do not fear. His strength is at most equal to mine. The realm lord must already know and will surely destroy this intruder,” he called out, his words echoing in every direction.

To calm the others, Zhong Yuanhua unleashed his power, charging headlong to meet the newcomer, his aura blazing as he shot toward the foe.