From a martial arts disciple to a god through countless trials and tribulations

Chapter 164 Ancient Yan Emperor
The sound of the wind was like the melodious sound of a flute, shattered by the war drums in the distant sky.

Chen Xuan stood in a pool of blood, with a murderous aura on his body. His eyes were clear, and a calm but firm power flowed in them. He looked at Xiao Huo with a faint smile on his face.

"Swish!" A scarlet Chaolu armor emitted the power of fire, spreading to the surroundings with him as the center. The countless herbs and spiritual medicines on the ground created by the death of Taoist Liu were roasted with a sizzling sound and gradually melted.

Xiao Huo stared at Chen Xuan's eyes, with a trace of solemnity on his handsome face, and his pair of dark eyes seemed like a ball of divine fire burning.

A trace of speculation and uneasiness has been lingering in my mind for more than half a month.

At this moment, it finally turned into a cold reality, enveloping him who had made some mental preparations in advance... Chen Xuan really had some ulterior motives towards the Chosen One.

Do you want to talk?

"Bang!"

The Human Emperor Daozang, with a dignified expression, suddenly placed the fluttering Human Emperor Banner on the ground. He led the four smaller Heavenly Fate Daozangs, all of whom frowned and glared at the volcanic Yan Emperor Daozang in the distance, shouting:
"Want to fight? Big guy, you're looking for trouble!"

"Ah……"

Upon hearing the voice, Yan Emperor Daozang sneered and lowered his huge head covered with red rune lines even more. His pair of unruly red-gold eyes, with a gaze like tangible flames, fell on Xiao Huo's back.

"laugh!"

The armor on Xiao Huo's back, under the gaze of Emperor Yan Daozang, burned out two red holes, from which billowing smoke emerged.

The Fire Element is fierce and violent, and is not afraid of being outnumbered and bullying the minority... Xiao Hou felt the tremendous anger conveyed by the Yan Emperor Daozang of the Sixth Heaven.

At this moment, Jiang Qinghuang, dressed in a plain white dress, moved with lotus steps and suddenly came between Chen Xuan and Xiao Hu, who were on the verge of a confrontation, blocking their gaze from a distance.

"You two, the chosen ones, are both outstanding young men of the Chu State. It's best not to kill each other and make things difficult for me!"

Her face was frost-covered, and she scolded him in a dissatisfied tone. Then, she faced Chen Xuan first, with her hands clasped in front of her slender waist. Her eyes were crystal clear, and her dandelion-like eyelashes trembled slightly, as if she was praying, and as if she was commanding:
"General, you have a clear distinction between gratitude and resentment, and you know what to do and what not to do. You should know that Xiao Hou is not like Heng Gu. I will help you persuade him."

Chen Xuan heard the voice, narrowed his eyes, and chuckled:
"Your Highness is a very intelligent and sensible princess. Thank you for your help."

Jiang Qinghuang is willing to take the initiative to provide a guarantee and coordinate, and things will go much more smoothly.

Jiang Qinghuang nodded in satisfaction, feeling relieved. Then, he turned to look at Xiao Qiong and continued:

"General Xiao Huo, if I hadn't done everything I could to suppress it over the past six months, your identity as the Chosen One would have already become known to everyone... You can talk to Chen Xuan. As the Princess of the Jiang Family, I guarantee that if he acts inappropriately, I will demand an explanation for you."

Xiao Qiong heard the voice, sighed in his heart, and said helplessly with a fist:
"Subordinates obey orders."

It turned out that Jiang Qinghuang had already realized his identity as the Chosen One.

As expected, when someone stays in one place for too long, they'll reveal all sorts of clues. Even someone like Chen Xuan, after only meeting him twice, could already tell he was a Chosen One based on some unknown sign.

Jiang Qinghuang nodded, but still a little worried, and added:

"You two should talk it out properly. If you can't reach an agreement, don't make trouble. Come to me first. I will find a way to help you make a decision."

After she finished speaking, she raised her bright eyes, glared at the troublemaker Chen Xuan, and then pointed at him with her finger.

Immediately, he left the place and ordered the giant dragon-slaying crossbows quietly aimed at Chen Xuan and Xiao Huo in the distance to move to other directions.

Jiang Qinghuang admired the local, Chen Xuan, and they were bound by a bond of gratitude. However, Xiao Hou, the foreigner, had dedicated himself to the Chu Kingdom for the past six months, saving the day in times of crisis on numerous occasions and being a pillar of the Chu State... She truly did not want a quarrel between them.

Jiang Qinghuang didn't know that Chen Xuan's initiative to join this mission was just a trick to get rid of Xiao Huo... He didn't practice the Ancient Scriptures of Mountains and Seas, but instead practiced many kinds of Scriptures of Destiny. There was no reason for him to let go of Xiao Huo, the one who possessed the Scriptures of Destiny.

After killing Taoist Zizhu in Luoyue City that day, she vaguely sensed that something was wrong, but being in danger, she only had a few hurried conversations with Chen Xuan and hurriedly led Xiao Hou to retreat... This time, she was even more keenly aware that Xiao Hou might leave without saying goodbye, so she changed the orders repeatedly and entered the battlefield in person to stabilize the morale of the army.

"It's too difficult for me." On the hillside, Jiang Qinghuang sighed, and Chen Xuan's face flashed through her mind. She was just repaying his favor!
With her status and position, she is qualified to act as a peacemaker between the two chosen ones. Both parties are human beings and are not unreasonable people. They will give her this face... Emperor Jiang has not fallen yet, and the 90,000-li Chu State is not over yet!

The ring on Xiao Huo's finger trembled, and the old man's inner voice rang out:

"This descendant of the princess of Emperor Jiang, the True Lord of Candlelight, is more partial to Chen Xuan. Ha, that's right. They knew each other earlier and have a bond of saving the emperor. Chen Xuan also has the status of the Southern Wasteland Saint, so he's more useful than you..."

Xiao Hou listened to the mocking words of the Ring Master, but when the time came, he knew that it was useless to overthink things. He just wanted to solve the problem. He asked Chen Xuan:

"General Xue, what's the matter? Just tell me directly."

He is a resolute, humble, patient and low-key person. He does not take the initiative to cause trouble, but he is not afraid of the schemes of villains and scoundrels.

Chen Xuan looked around. Jiang Qinghuang had already cleared the area, and no outsiders could spy on it. He smiled and said,

"Let's talk about your enemies first."

Xiao Qiong laughed when he heard this:
"Enemy? Isn't there one right before our eyes? You stole the Heavenly Fate Scripture from the Human Emperor Banner Heng Gu. It's said that Huang Liang Meng also died at your hands. I'm afraid you also possessed his Heavenly Fate Scripture."

Chen Xuan listened to this without changing his expression and said:
"Xiao Huo, I've met many Chosen Ones... There was one whose whereabouts were even more secretive than yours, but there was still a powerful force called "Little Justice" plotting behind him. Do you think you're an exception?"

Even a cautious god like Ye Kui could not escape the clutches of powerful forces.

Although Xiao Huo is cautious, he is still far inferior to Ye Kui, who would rather kill the wrong person than let him go. There must be ghosts around him who are watching him covetously.

Xiao Qi's expression changed slightly, and he said in a deep voice: "You think too much, there is no major force plotting against me."

A few years ago, he encountered an accident during his cultivation and his status in the family plummeted.

Until a little over a year ago, he was fortunate enough to receive the Mandate of Heaven. Later, due to the importance of marriage, he made a humiliating three-year agreement. Growing fearful that the Mandate of Heaven would bring disaster to his family, he traveled extensively, but until now, he had not encountered any major forces secretly plotting his death.

The only person who was far superior to him was the residual soul of his master hidden in the mysterious ring, and the mysterious ring was his mother's legacy...

"Really?"

Chen Xuan said, pointing to the ring in Xiao Huo's hand, and said with a smile:

"Where is he? I have a way to help you. Kill him."

He was a person who looked like [Tao Hongchen]. Although his condition was not right, he undoubtedly had overwhelming strength for Xiao Huo, whose soul was weak at this stage... It was extremely suspicious.

Xiao Qiong's face changed drastically when he heard the voice. He clenched his fists, digging his nails deep into his palms. His eyes were filled with anger, and he said coldly:

"Master, you have taught me the ancient secret arts and alchemy methods. Your kindness is as great as a mountain. How can I insult you with your words? There is no need to discuss this matter any further."

In the mysterious ring, the old man heard the conversation between the two, remained silent and did not respond.

"You are so affectionate, you dare to treat him as your master..."

Chen Xuan was a little surprised. He looked at Xiao Huo's expression and watched him carefully for a while. He found that he really seemed to respect his teacher.

So, he took the initiative to change the subject and continued:

"Let's talk about other things. I want your Yandi Sutra."

Xiao Qi had a premonition that Chen Xuan wanted to obtain his true scriptures. After all, he had practiced five types! He had a response in mind and replied calmly:

"Chen Xuan, in consideration of Princess Jiang's guarantee for you, I agree to exchange the first half of the Yan Emperor's Scripture with you. Please exchange it with something of equal value."

Chen Xuan said, "Only the upper half?"

Xiao Qiong nodded and said, "Of course, you and I are both destined to be together. We should know that the second half of the Destiny Scripture cannot be obtained lightly. The price to pay is too high."

The true scripture of destiny is not as precious as imagined.

Many powerful sects that have practiced the art of making elixirs have incomplete copies of the Heavenly Mandate Sutra, but in reality, no one would go and learn it. There are other better options, because the existing ancient Mountain and Sea Sutras are all complete and can lead directly to the fairyland!

Therefore, Xiao Huo had no objection to the spread of the Heavenly Mandate Sutra.

If Chen Xuan came only for the Heavenly Mandate Sutra, there would be no need to cause conflict... unless he wanted to usurp the throne and become the number one person in the Yan Emperor Sutra. But since he was willing to negotiate, the possibility of this was very small.

Chen Xuan muttered to himself, "As expected. Xiao Hou appears to be in a more normal state than the other Heavenly Fate Holders. He must not have obtained the second half of the Heavenly Fate Scripture." He knew some of Xiao Hou's deeds and could see the bigger picture from the subtle details. After all, even someone as steadfast as Fan Xianzhi, willing to sacrifice everything, had reached the end of the cauldron and still refused to directly obtain the second half of the Heavenly Fate Scripture. How could someone as resolute as Xiao Hou easily compromise with Heavenly Fate so early?
As Xiao Qie spoke, a trace of sadness flashed across his eyes, and he continued:
"For now, we only have the first half of the Yandi Sutra, which is just a dead end to reach the Dinglu realm. With your talent, [Tao Hongchen] has great hope. Why bother to seek the incomplete Tianming Sutra? The gain is not worth the loss."

He did not understand why Chen Xuan practiced other parts of the Heavenly Fate Sutra. He only had half of the sutra intact and the cauldron and furnace were used up. The investment and the return were not proportional.

"Besides, if you practice the first half of the Yandi Zhenjing, you will need to take great risks. If I suddenly die, all your efforts will be in vain."

Those who are destined to be together are all the first people to be born into the world to master the true scriptures of destiny.

But those who are destined to succeed usually do not live long and may die at any time.

However, the Ancient Scriptures of Mountains and Seas are different. Not only are they complete, but the first people to master these scriptures are all among the most ancient and powerful beings in the world. Most of them are great masters who have dominated the world for thousands of years.

For example, in the most widely circulated "鸓鸟真經" in the Chu State, the person who topped it is most likely Emperor Jiang, the True Lord Zhuzhao.

Chen Xuan thought for a while, then nodded and said:

"I'll exchange other things with you for the Yan Emperor's Scripture."

Xiao Qiong asked doubtfully, "What is it?"

Chen Xuan smiled and said, "You will be interested. I think you won't refuse..."

Xiao Hu was stunned when he heard the voice. He was not short of resources now, and he didn't understand what Chen Xuan would use to impress him.

He looked puzzled and found that Chen Xuan was staring at him without turning his head. Suddenly, his heart trembled and he realized that something was wrong. Chen Xuan's gaze was too aggressive, as if he wanted to see through him completely, including the secrets deep in his heart!
"what have you done……"

Xiao Qie asked loudly in panic, unaware of the power of Xinzhai. In a trance, he found that his soul was rapidly leaving his body and floating up into the soft clouds...

The expression on his face gradually became stiff and dull. He first looked at Chen Xuan with confusion, and then with horror... He encountered the most dangerous and terrible situation that he had never and dared not imagine.

Emperor Yan Ming, automatically opened without any warning, and forcibly summoned him into the destiny!
"Buzz!"

At this moment, the ancient mysterious ring between Xiao Huo's fingers trembled violently, and the shadow of an old man in a black robe appeared. He looked nervous and horrified, staring at Xiao Huo, realizing that the situation was not good:

"The soul disappears!"

Without any warning, Xiao Huo suddenly entered the destiny space?
"It's you..." The old man's face was gloomy. He turned around like an old wolf, and his cold eyes suddenly looked at Chen Xuan who was wearing gorgeous and ferocious armor not far away.

"It's me." Chen Xuan's expression was normal, his eyes moved slightly, and with a faint smile, he looked into the soul of the old man who suddenly appeared.

"Wow!"

The Human Emperor Banner fluttered silently behind Chen Xuan. The pattern of the twenty-eight constellations on the banner was flowing with starlight, and its divine power was ready to be unleashed.

The old man's wrinkled face had an expression that changed from gloomy to bright.

Chen Xuan could see his spirit? Did this mean that his spirit body was still inside his body? What on earth was Chen Xuan doing? He couldn't understand it!

Some things are out of control in front of the old man.

……

……

Yan Emperor Ming.

The sky was shrouded in thick, inky clouds of fire. The raging flames hung down from the sky like three thousand feet of red silk, surging and surging, as if countless ferocious beasts were fighting and roaring in it.

"Buzz!"

Across the vast expanse of land, seven massive bronze pillars supported the crumbling heaven and earth. The black bird patterns engraved on their surfaces suddenly opened their molten gold pupils. The coiled golden crows and phoenixes began to move, their feathers weaving mercury-silver tears. Each drop that hit the ground exploded into a purple-blue lotus of fire.

"Heaven's Mandate [Yan Emperor Ming], seven pillars..."

Chen Xuan's figure emerged and captured some information about Xiao Huo's destiny. He stood on the top of the second bronze pillar named "Daozang" and looked up.

Directly in front of him, there was a red-gold figure that stood tall and straight, beyond all imagination.

At this moment, Chen Xuan inexplicably thought of the image of Emperor Jiang, the True Lord Zhuzhao... But at this moment, what appeared before his eyes was an existence that was even more ancient and long-lasting than Emperor Jiang, the True Lord Dawu.

As if it were ancient——

Emperor Yan.

"Whoosh!"

In the fire cloud, the figure of the ancient Yan Emperor slowly emerged, like a mountain filling the sky and earth.

The Yan Emperor's twelve-fold crown had long since melted into a liquid crown. His ribs were thirty-six copper swords and halberds. Nine hundred and ninety-nine lava veins emanated from his spine. He possessed a thousand arms, each as thick as a pillar, entwined with vibrant flames like living Kui dragons. Each knuckle was inlaid with a melting sundial, its hands spinning frantically, oozing the hues of frozen dusk...

"Yan Emperor? But his image doesn't match the legend..."

Chen Xuan's heart was pounding as he looked up at the huge figure of Emperor Yan. This was his sixth time entering the Destiny Space.

In the [Six Desire Heavens], the ferocious forms of the Four Heavenly Kings stand tall. In the black lake beneath the thirty-six-petal lotus, there are submerged the broken arms and limbs of many more Desire Realm Buddhas, which have never been seen in person.

In [Tian Yan Dao], there are thousands of immortal figures of Taiyin Star Lord, sitting or standing on the starry sky.

In [Eternal Life], above the moon, there is a resentful human face, which disappears in a flash. Under the long river of time, countless ghostly and blurry figures swim back and forth.

In [The Yellow Millet Dream] and [Human Emperor Banner], I didn't see those bizarre beings, only strange fake figures resembling Wang Chan and Heng Gu...

But as seen in the first five images of destiny.

None of them could compare to the shock Chen Xuan felt when he saw Emperor Yan Ming.

"rumble……"

The Yan Emperor possessed seven faces, distributed along seven giant bronze pillars: Yuhua, Daozang, Dinglu, and so on. Each face held a distinct expression. Some had eyes wide open, flames shooting out like sharp arrows in all directions; others wore eerie smiles, revealing an endless indifference and cruelty; and still others were distorted with pain, as if enduring unspeakable torture.

The red-gold eyes on every face were all focused on the tiny object in front of Chen Xuan.

A red-gold alchemy furnace.

Sitting cross-legged in the stove was a young man with a slightly thin figure.

Xiao Qi opened his eyes, stood up, and poked his head out of the alchemy furnace. He stared at Chen Xuan with a look of astonishment and sighed:

"You can really enter the destiny..."

Chen Xuan sensed Xiao Qiong and confirmed that it was the real Xiao Qiong's spirit, so he said in a firm tone:

"Two things."

"First, I'll help you get rid of that hypocritical old man in the Xuan Ring outside. Stop pretending, you know full well he's not a good person! Second, I'll help you avoid the backlash of fate and obtain the second half of the Yandi Zhenjing, the third level of [Tao Hongchen]."

"But in exchange."

"I want to be the first person to read the second half of the Yan Emperor's Scripture."

This is a negotiating tone that cannot be refused.

The [Worldly] Scripture is only related to the physical body temple and can be abandoned at any time. Moreover, for Chen Xuan, who now has the spiritual body operation method and the elixir to accelerate cultivation, even if he cultivates it again, it will not take more than a few months. The Tianyan Dao's "Tianyan Scripture" is also being cultivated.

But the [Tao Hongchen] Sutra is different. The soul cannot be exchanged, the price is too high, and it cannot be lost.

Chen Xuan must hold on tightly to this fire-attributed Destiny Scripture… He only needs the Destiny Scriptures of the two world masters that are suspected to be earth-attributed, and then the five elements will be complete!

(End of this chapter)