Chapter Four: Invincibility Beyond the Imperial Realm

The old man’s face was lined with worry at that moment. He patted Wan Yi’s shoulder and sighed softly. “My dear disciple, have you ever thought about this? All things in the world are born and die according to their appointed measure. But what consequences would arise if the number of imperial realm cultivators who have broken free of the restraints of Heaven’s Way kept increasing?”

At that moment, Wan Yi seemed to grasp the gravity of it. He drew in a sharp breath and said, “The more powerful beings there are who step into the imperial realm, the more of the world’s origin they steal. If this goes on for long enough, Heaven’s Way may collapse, spiritual energy will run dry, and all things will perish!”

The old man nodded after hearing this. “Exactly so. Imperial realm cultivators have already broken free of the restraints of Heaven’s Way in this world, and can exist for as long as the world itself endures.

“As their numbers keep growing, what they plunder is the fortune of all living beings in this world, and what they consume is the very origin of heaven and earth!”

Wan Yi’s brows knitted tightly. He could not help asking, “Master, then don’t they know this?”

The old man shook his head with a bitter smile. “How could the first and second generations of imperial realm cultivators not know? They were survivors of the Dark Age, and they themselves created this realm. Of course they understood how grave the consequences would be.

“But for the sake of their own selfish desires, they would never care whether others lived or died. They buried the matter of the imperial realm, together with those four hundred years of darkness, deep in the river of time.

“As for the cultivators who later attained the imperial realm, they were deceived by their predecessors, and so they did not know that every additional imperial realm cultivator would inflict yet another wound upon this world.

“They thought the imperial realm was no different from any other, merely a step every cultivator must pass through on the path of cultivation.”

By now, Wan Yi no longer felt any admiration for the first generation of imperial realm experts. He said indignantly, “How could those people be so selfish?! Since they knew that the more cultivators who attained the imperial realm, the greater the harm to this world’s origin, why didn’t they stop later generations from reaching it? Why didn’t they reveal the truth to the world?”

The old man shook his head and smiled bitterly again. “Stop them? How could that be! What they concealed was not only the secret of the imperial realm and those four hundred years of darkness.

“After four hundred years of darkness, the path to immortality in this world had long been severed, and no cultivator could ascend! Once such a thing was exposed, do you know what would happen?”

“That...” Wan Yi was left speechless by the old man’s question.

A mocking look appeared on the old man’s face as he continued. “Child, you must understand that human hearts are selfish!

“Once the cultivators of the world learn that the path to immortality has been cut off, who would still be willing to risk everything in cultivation?

“If no one cultivates, how are the legacies of the various sects to be passed down?

“And without the inheritance of those legacies, who would still offer worship to those first and second generation imperial realm cultivators?”

In short, this was a heaven-covering conspiracy, where one move would stir the whole body. Even if someone stepped forward now to reveal the truth, the people who had been deceived for so long would not believe it.

And there were only two ways to save this world. The first was to find a method to break through the spatial barrier, open the path of ascension, and let those imperial realm cultivators ascend to the Immortal World.

The other method was to kill them all!

The power within imperial realm cultivators had already undergone a qualitative change; they now possessed pure world origin. As long as they were slain, that power could be returned to heaven and earth once more!

The old man’s tone was filled with murderous intent, so much so that Wan Yi broke out in a cold sweat. In a small voice, he asked, “Master, did you create the Heaven-Slaying Emperor Art because you wanted to uphold justice for Heaven?”

“Uphold justice for Heaven?” The old man’s brows drew together slightly. After savoring those words, he burst out laughing. “Good, good, good! Uphold justice for Heaven. Well said!”

Seeing this, Wan Yi was utterly speechless. He truly did not know whether this old man was a madman, to think he could eradicate all imperial realm cultivators by himself.

The old man seemed to guess what Wan Yi was thinking. Stroking his beard, he looked up to the sky and sighed. “Back when your master broke through to the Tribulation Transcendence stage, in the moment of the heavenly tribulation, I resonated with Heaven’s Way!

“It was as though I heard the grief and anguish of Heaven’s Way. During my meditation and enlightenment, this Heaven-Slaying Emperor Art naturally appeared in my mind.

“That mysterious, wondrous feeling was beyond words. So rather than saying this technique was created by your master, it would be more fitting to say it was a technique created by Heaven’s Way itself.

“It only awaits someone with a heart for the greater good to wield it and act in Heaven’s place!”

Seeing his bargain-master becoming more and more outrageous with every word, Wan Yi quickly interrupted, “Master, may this disciple ask a bold question? After you created the Heaven-Slaying Emperor Art, how many imperial realm cultivators did you slay?”

The old man pondered for a moment before replying, “There were dozens.”

Wan Yi looked strange after hearing this. “Master, if the Heaven-Slaying Emperor Art is truly that formidable, how did you come to fall?”

At the question from his beloved disciple, the old man’s expression changed. He gave an embarrassed smile and said, “My dear disciple, you do not know this.

“Once a cultivator steps into the imperial realm, the whole person undergoes a transformation and can no longer be compared to those below that level.

“As I said before, imperial realm cultivators have already comprehended Heaven’s Way and fused with a portion of it. The Heaven-Slaying Emperor Art makes use of exactly that. When circulating this technique, one can obscure Heaven’s Way and borrow a sliver of heavenly chance, speaking the law into being and eradicating all imperial realm experts with a mere flick of the finger.

“However, this technique has a flaw as well: it is effective only against experts above the imperial realm. Against those below it, it is completely useless.”

Back then, your master was careless and was seen through by those first and second generation imperial realm cultivators, so they sent large numbers of Tribulation Transcendence disciples to besiege me.

“Even though your master possessed heaven-defying skill, I could not withstand the encirclement of so many cultivators of the same level. In the end, I could only perish after a bitter and heroic battle.

“Fortunately, Heaven had compassion. After my body and soul were extinguished, it allowed my obsession to become a wisp of remnant soul, which carried the transmission jade slip for the Heaven-Slaying Emperor Art and fled far away, so that a successor might be found in the future.

“And see, today I have found you.”

The more Wan Yi heard, the more something felt wrong. His eyelids twitched repeatedly, and he asked in a trembling voice, “Master, what exactly did you mean by the flaw just now?”

Seeing this, the old man hurriedly laughed it off. “Heh heh, it is nothing serious. It is just that this Heaven-Slaying Emperor Art renders you invincible against imperial realm and above, while below the imperial realm... you will have to rely on your legs.”

“Rely on my legs?” Wan Yi’s face grew darker and darker. He pointed at the old man with a trembling hand and said, “I treat you like my real master, so don’t you go and harm me! Explain it clearly right now.”

The old man grinned. “It really is nothing major. Against imperial realm experts, once you circulate the Heaven-Slaying Emperor Art, you can erase them at will.

“As for those below the imperial realm, that depends on your own cultivation. If the other party’s cultivation is higher than yours, you had best run with all your might and not let them kill you.

“Because the Heaven-Slaying Emperor Art is ineffective against cultivators below the imperial realm, I said that below the imperial realm, you must rely on your legs. Run as fast as you possibly can!”

Wan Yi’s face had gone pitch black by now. He had thought he had stumbled upon a priceless bargain, never imagining it would turn out to be so useless!

But the old man’s next words made him even more speechless, nearly causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.

“My dear disciple, since you have inherited my legacy, you must complete the mission your master entrusts to you. Use this Heaven-Slaying Emperor Art to kill every imperial realm cultivator in the world, and do not let it gather dust!”

Wan Yi’s expression collapsed. “Old man, thanks a lot!”

To be continued...