Chapter 744: Suspicions
A Rank 8 sect in the Tianwu Domain was a formidable power in a region. With so many of such factions in one province, what would the competition here be like?
The founding ancestor of this Eternal Heavenly Sword School is totally shameless. He actually claimed that he created Thunder Light Fleeing Shadows Sword. Now, I really want to know who this Eternal Heavenly Sword Sage is, Ao Jiao grumbled from the Immortal Spirit Ring.
On the road to the provincial capital, Xiao Chen had run into a few disciples from the Eternal Heavenly Sword School. When they spoke, they were full of praise for their founding ancestor.
According to these disciples, not only did their founding ancestor start the sect from scratch, establishing the Eternal Heavenly Sword School that had not fallen even after two thousand years, but he also created several exquisite Sword Techniques.
In the end, the more Ao Jiao heard, the angrier she got. Her upset was because the several Sword Techniques mentioned, including Thunder Light Fleeing Shadows Sword, were Sword Techniques that the Thunder Emperor created as a youth.
Along the way, Xiao Chen had heard Ao Jiao griping about this shamelessness more than once. He smiled faintly and said, “You can stop complaining already. That Eternal Heavenly Sword Sage probably died long ago. There is no use cursing at him.”
Ao Jiao countered calmly, That person already advanced to Martial Sage two thousand years ago. If he broke through to Martial Emperor, even if he is just a Minor Heavenly Martial Emperor, living two thousand years would be easy.
Xiao Chen shook his head and argued, “That is impossible. If he became a Martial Emperor, his name would resound everywhere. Hunluo Province would not have any other faction; the Eternal Heavenly Sword School would be able to monopolize it. Most importantly, none of the Eternal Heavenly Sword School disciples mentioned anything about him becoming a Martial Emperor. If he indeed became a Martial Emperor, why would they not publicize that fact in order to gain more glory?”
What you say makes sense. However, I keep feeling that it is too coincidental. Just when the Thunder Emperor fell two thousand years ago, this Sage established the Eternal Heavenly Sword School. If he did not want to advance to Martial Emperor, why would he found a sect for nothing? The primary purpose of setting up a sect is to gain resources for oneself to advance to Martial Emperor.
Ao Jiao’s expression became increasingly graver. Her suspicions about the Eternal Heavenly Sword School only ballooned.
Xiao Chen noticed the point Ao Jiao had at the end. He asked, “What does establishing a sect have to do with breaking through to Martial Emperor?”
She explained, People without sufficient talent or Luck would open sects for the sake of becoming Martial Emperors. They would gather vast amounts of resources and forcibly break through.
However, this kind of Martial Emperor will remain a Minor Heavenly Martial Emperor forever and can never advance. Furthermore, this method is high-risk and requires an astronomical amount of resources. For some people, such losses are not worth the gain.
Xiao Chen gave Hunluo City in the distance a glance and stopped walking. He said, “Actually, it is time you tell me how the Martial Emperor fell back then.”
Ao Jiao, who was in the Immortal Spirit Ring, remained silent for a long time. It seemed like she did not want to recall these matters. Finally, she slowly said, Indeed, it is time to tell you some things.
Xiao Chen had always had his suspicions about the Thunder Emperor’s death. Sang Mu had been the youngest Martial Emperor since the Azure Emperor. He had traveled through the Kunlun Realm unhindered, practically unrivaled in the same generation.
Those who became Martial Emperors on the road of cultivation were generally people with great Luck. If nothing unexpected happened, they would not fall for no reason.
This should be all the more so for the Thunder Emperor. Someone with such talent, able to stand at the top, would definitely not fall by accident.
Back at the Azure Dragon Palace, that mysterious Item Spirit had been effusive with praise when Xiao Chen mentioned the Thunder Emperor. The first thing he asked was whether the Thunder Emperor was already the strongest Sovereign Martial Emperor.
The dumbfounded expression on the Item Spirit’s face, when he found out that the Thunder Emperor had died, could not have been faked.
Ao Jiao revealed a hurt expression on her face as she said softly, Back then, when Sang Mu just advanced to Sovereign Martial Emperor, he immediately challenged the strongest Sovereign Martial Emperor—the Thunder Sovereign.
Thunder Sovereign was a title. The holder of that title was the Thunder and Lightning Palace’s founding ancestor, a Sovereign Martial Emperor of the same generation as the Azure Emperor. He was also currently the oldest Martial Emperor of the Kunlun Realm.
Many people believed that the Thunder Sovereign was the strongest human. Even the three Holy Masters of the Three Holy Lands were probably inferior to him to some extent.
Of course, these were just unverifiable rumors. Furthermore, the Thunder Sovereign had already lived for at least ten thousand years. As he had not shown himself for very long, no one knew if he was alive or dead.
Sang Mu had been given the title Thunder Emperor. When he advanced to Sovereign Martial Emperor, he naturally wanted to take the title of Thunder Sovereign. However, titles were not something given to oneself.
One had to display the corresponding strength before others would concede the title. Thus, Sang Mu had to fight the strongest Martial Emperor of that time—the Thunder Sovereign.
The moment Sang Mu advanced, he issued a challenge to a Sovereign Martial Emperor of the same generation as the Azure Emperor. Such courage was truly commendable.
Xiao Chen asked somewhat anxiously, “So did he win or lose?”
Ao Jiao revealed a pained expression and muttered, He lost. That old man, the Thunder Sovereign, broke the Thunder Wood Sword.
“Does that mean that the Thunder Sovereign killed the Thunder Emperor?” he asked, a bit subdued.
She shook her head and replied, No, that old man only broke the Thunder Wood Sword and severely injured Sang Mu. However, he did not kill Sang Mu. He even said this victory was not justified and invited Sang Mu to fight him again after a hundred years.
Xiao Chen asked doubtfully, “Who killed him?”
I’m not very sure of the exact details. The moment after the Thunder Wood Sword broke, I entered deep sleep, in danger of being destroyed at any moment.
At some point in time, glistering tears appeared at the corners of Ao Jiao’s eyes. She said, When I woke up, not only had the Thunder Emperor not recovered, but his injuries had even worsened, becoming something fatal. At that time, I was so frightened, I cried.
He told me not to cry. When I asked him who injured him, he did not say. He only said that he met with a despicable person and he had been betrayed, that he let me down. Then, he went to the Phoenix’s Passion Palace to ask for a piece of Divine Moonstone to protect me. However, he ended up in an argument with their Young Palace Master.
In his rage, Sang Mu dragged his dying body and killed their Young Palace Master and forcibly took away the Divine Moonstone. Then, he died as a result of the Vermilion Bird Holy Fire Imprint that the Phoenix’s Passion Palace’s Holy Master implanted.
When Xiao Chen heard what Ao Jiao said, he finally understood the whole story. Ostensibly, the Phoenix’s Passion Palace’s Holy Master had killed the Thunder Emperor.
However, in reality, the Thunder Emperor had already been doomed to die at that time. If he had been at his peak, the Phoenix’s Passion Palace’s Palace Master might not even have been able to stay the Thunder Emperor Sang Mu.
The crux of the matter should be that period when Ao Jiao had been asleep after the Thunder Emperor suffered defeat. How exactly had his injuries turned into something fatal?
Clearly, the Thunder Emperor had not wanted to tell Ao Jiao what happened, so Xiao Chen had no way of finding out, either.
To summarize the Thunder Emperor’s life, he had come from humble beginnings and become famous at a young age. Along the way, he had done many things in the Sky Dome Realm, which turned into legends and myths.
After the Thunder Emperor arrived at the Kunlun Realm, he had been like a fish in water, like a bound roc that finally spread its wings, which were larger than the sky.
The Thunder Emperor managed to stand out from all the lower-realm geniuses, defeating the various disciples of the Tianwu Domain’s sects and clans. After he became a Martial Emperor, he rose up completely and traveled the Kunlun Realm unhindered. Even the Martial Emperors of the various major races trembled in fear when they heard his name.
Such a person falling caused everyone to feel regret over it. If the Thunder Emperor had not died, he would definitely be the strongest Sovereign Martial Emperor of the Tianwu Domain by now.
Staring at the distant Hunluo City, Xiao Chen did not know what to say. The Thunder Emperor’s death still seemed very peculiar.
Who exactly was the despicable person the Thunder Emperor mentioned, the one who caused his injuries to worsen to the point of dooming him to death? Xiao Chen did not know where to start investigating. Even if he knew the answer, he could not do anything about it.
With his strength now—even if he were a thousandfold stronger—he would not be a match for someone who could injure the Thunder Emperor.
No wonder Ao Jiao had not been willing to tell him about it. Before he got strong enough, even if he knew something, he could only treat it as a story. There was no difference between relating it or not.
“Sorry, I caused you to recall some painful memories,” Xiao Chen said, feeling guilty when he saw the glistering tears at the corners of Ao Jiao’s eyes.
She gently rubbed away her tears and forced out a smile. It’s fine. I’ve buried these things in my heart for too long already. Being able to speak about them means that I can look past them now.
Xiao Chen looked ahead with a determined gaze. Then he said seriously, “Don’t worry. I will help you find out who was behind the Thunder Emperor’s death. The truth will come to light someday.”
Ao Jiao smiled and said, Don’t buy too much trouble. Sang Mu did not tell me about it back then probably because that person is too strong. He probably did not want anyone trying to take revenge for him.
Let’s go. After we visit the Eternal Heavenly Sword School, we will immediately head for the Fiend Domain. You have your own path to walk as well.
Xiao Chen did not say anything more. However, he made sure to remember this promise in his heart. In the future, after he climbed to the peak, he would personally kill the enemy of the Thunder Emperor.
As for the strongest human Martial Emperor of the Tianwu Domain, the Thunder Sovereign, Xiao Chen would visit him someday and defeat him, accomplishing the Thunder Emperor’s final wish.
As the sky was about to turn dark, Xiao Chen rushed to the gates of Hunluo City. Hunluo City looked as majestic as Supreme Sky City, perhaps even better.
This sight startled Xiao Chen. He found it hard to imagine that the provincial capital of a border province could be more majestic than the provincial capital of one of the large provinces of the Tianwu Domain.
However, Xiao Chen saw a different scene after he entered the city gates. Cultivators filled the entire street.
Furthermore, all these cultivators released strong killing Qi with their ferocious gazes. If anyone bumped into someone, a fight would immediately break out; no one could stop them.
The people here seemed inured to this. They watched with interest and occasionally evaluated these fights, obviously very excited about these.
Along the way, Xiao Chen witnessed several fights. The defeated people did not have a good end. Their corpses lay on the street, their treasures robbed by others.
Some people even kept track of the cultivators entering the city. If they found any weak cultivators traveling alone, they would immediately target them.
The entire city was lawless and chaotic. Everything depended on one’s strength. The strong preyed on the weak; such things were plainly visible.
Xiao Chen did not wish to incur any trouble, so he released his heavy killing Qi as well, intimidating everyone around a little and deterring the rashness of others.
After all, a killing Qi that heavy could not be accumulated that easily by just anyone. With one glance, people knew that Xiao Chen frequently trod the line between life and death.
Xiao Chen casually found a restaurant and ordered some wine and food. Then, he called a waiter over and tossed out five Astral Coins. He said, “I have some questions. Please answer them honestly.”
The waiter put away the five Astral Coins with a smile. “Young Hero, just let me know what you want, and I will do my best to accomplish it.”
Xiao Chen nodded and said, “Tell me more about the exact situation in Hunluo City. Then, tell me everything you know about the Eternal Heavenly Sword School as well.”
When the waiter heard this, he launched into a fluent report. Although he touched on many things, he was not long-winded at all. Soon, Xiao Chen gained a rough understanding of Hunluo City.
Evidently, this was not the waiter’s first time speaking about all this. However, when it came to the Eternal Heavenly Sword School, his speech was no longer that fluent.