Chapter 152: Chapter 96: Heaven’s Gaze

"Father, Mother, don’t abandon Shui’Er..."

In the vast, empty hall, Lady Shui murmured in her sleep. Her eyelashes trembled, and a tear welled at the corner of her eye.

Earth One had lived a bitter life.

It could be said that during the era of the Violent Liang, not a single one of the Black Lotus’s nineteen secret spies had an easy life.

If their lives hadn’t been so bitter, they would never have set out on the path of rebellion, a path that guaranteed execution.

’A pity.’

’You are not her... But you will become her.’

Gazing at her face, Su Chen lifted Lady Shui into his arms, placed her on the bed, and then removed his own robe to cover her.

Once he was done, he walked out of the great hall and stood in the waters of Taiye Lake.

"Are you truly the Black Lotus?"

In the lake stood an old man who had been eyeing him with suspicion for some time.

Emperor Long.

Or rather, the first Grandmaster from Great Yu to awaken.

"His Majesty would like to have a word with you."

Emperor Long was exceedingly deferential as he stood before Su Chen—the second of the Unparalleled Immortals, whose fame had risen meteorically.

Mastering a Ten Extremes Skill was proof that a place at the summit was reserved for him. Even if he wasn’t yet a titan looking down upon the Human World, he would be one day.

"Why didn’t he come himself?"

Su Chen asked, his gaze fixed on the distant Heaven-Ascension Tower.

"Because... kings do not meet."

"Before the Immortal Arrival, those who master a Ten Extremes Skill cannot meet. A meeting means a battle to the death. This is an ironclad law..."

"My name is Yue."

"The Moon of Great Yu!"

A hoarse voice suddenly issued from Emperor Long’s mouth.

At that moment, his entire demeanor changed. His spine straightened as an imperial aura emanated from him. Clasping his hands behind his back, he scrutinized Su Chen, his eyes like blazing suns, as if trying to peer into his very soul.

And just like that, on an otherwise unremarkable night, two masters of the Ten Extremes Skill—titans who looked down upon the Human World—met in Taiye Lake.

"Why have you sought me out?"

Su Chen wondered.

He truly couldn’t understand why the other party would want to meet him, risking a battle to the death between two masters of the Ten Extremes Skill.

The moment they fought, their cultivation would be broken.

Lifespan was a shackle that bound even Immortals at the peak of Qi Cultivation, trapping them with no hope of escape.

"I must achieve Immortal Arrival."

"The destiny of the land can no longer be plundered by the Wind Snow Sword Immortal. If Immortal Arrival is delayed any further, we will all die of old age..."

"And if we are to die of old age, we will be the first to act, destroying everything in the Human World. If we cannot have it, then no one else shall!"

The Great Yu Emperor, an Immortal at the peak of Qi Cultivation, spoke slowly, a profound malice glinting in his eyes.

Su Chen fell silent for a moment.

He didn’t know when Immortal Arrival would take place. But as he gazed toward the distant Heaven-Ascension Tower, he could calculate based on the Great Yu Emperor’s Longevity Fire that the man had roughly ten years of life remaining since his awakening.

’Will Immortal Arrival happen in the Twentieth Year of Xuanlong?’

’Stop the Wind Snow Sword Immortal.’

’With just me?’

Certain that the Great Yu Emperor hadn’t recognized his true identity, Su Chen feigned dejection, shaking his head and sighing.

"I fought him once, back in the Jianwu Period. But he is a man of stunning brilliance. He overwhelmed me so completely that I was powerless to fight back..."

"I am no match for him."

"With that one signature strike of his, Moon-slaying, he could kill me as easily as turning over his hand. I’m afraid you’ll have to find someone better suited for the task."

Su Chen was, in his own way, boasting about himself.

With these words, he made his own newly famous persona as an immortal of this sullied world seem utterly worthless.

And it was true. Based on their track records, as the Wind Snow Sword Immortal, he could suppress the heavens and earth with a single strike. He had slain a High Tier Qi Cultivation Immortal, his name alone had made two Sub-Innate beings retreat, and he had even contended with an expert of the Innate Realm on the river.

As the Black Lotus Saint, on the other hand, he had only ever slain a single Sub-Innate Demon Fiend.

Though they were called the Unparalleled Dual Immortals, everyone knew the Black Lotus was inferior to the Wind Snow Sword Immortal. Such was the terrifying reputation the Sword Immortal had built over more than twenty years.

"The Wind Snow Sword Immortal will undoubtedly reach the peak; I don’t need you to remind me of that."

"His talent is astonishing. That sword strike of pure will allows his Mortal Cultivation to be on par with the Heaven-Reaching Immortal Path. It’s why even the Sword Madman, who has defied the heavens for eight hundred years, favors him."

"How could you possibly be his match!"

The Great Yu Emperor grew somewhat impatient.

With that, the Great Yu Emperor waved his hand, tossing a palm-sized Black Coffin toward Su Chen.

"You possess the Burial Coffin. In combination with this item and your Ten Extremes Skill, it will be more than enough to compete with him."

"You have no concerns about lifespan, so you can fight without holding back!"

"As for the rest, we will handle the negotiations."

"If he truly insists on obstructing the Immortal Arrival and blocking our opportunity to step into the Foundation Establishment Realm, then we are not afraid to sacrifice a Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer Immortal to eliminate him!"

"Besides, he wants to truly unify the Dynasty and gather the destiny of the Human Race. By angering the heavens, he might not live much longer anyway..."

The Great Yu Emperor sneered.

Su Chen didn’t understand this. ’Angering the heavens? What does that mean?’

"Fine." Su Chen didn’t ask any questions.

And just like that, Emperor Long was gone.

Su Chen left Taiye Lake as well.

In his persona as the Black Lotus, he left the Imperial Palace. He journeyed out into the world and took a circuitous route, finding no one on his tail.

Even now, Su Chen was still a little baffled.

’This is...’

The palm-sized Black Coffin felt heavy in his hand, emanating an ominous aura.

He opened it.

BOOM!

An instant later, Su Chen snapped it shut.

’An acquaintance!’

’A very old acquaintance, at that.’

In the Eighth Year of Jianwu, Lord Zhang in his Purple Robe had rebelled, gathering dozens of First Grade experts from across the land to besiege the Tianwu Tower, only to be defeated and forced into retreat by a single palm from a Grandmaster.

In the Tenth Year of Jianwu, Emperor Jianwu died, and the Little Emperor took the throne, escorting the late Emperor’s coffin into the Imperial Mausoleum.

Among the Ten Extremes is a skill called the Three Corpses Technique.

Jianwu practiced it.

But the final corpse was never found...

’The Grand Ancestor of Liang...’

Sealed within the palm-sized Black Coffin was none other than the body of the Great Liang Grand Ancestor, who had been completely transformed into a Demon Fiend after using the Immortal Whale Blood to prolong his life.

It was hundreds of feet tall, with a green face and vicious tusks, covered in jet-black scale armor, and had horns sprouting from its forehead. Though humanoid in shape, it was a creature like a fiend from the depths of hell.

This was the corpse of a Great Demon Fiend.

And it was faintly approaching the Sub-Innate level.

If that was the case, then back in the day, had the Little Emperor and Master Chu of the Immortal Whale not joined forces to betray him, the Grand Ancestor of Liang might still be sitting on the emperor’s throne, his rule unshakeable.

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