Eternal God Emperor: Only I Am Emperor One

Chapter 140 At the Foot of the Mountain of Books, Two Dusts; On the Zhengyang Tower, Mandarin Ducks (Two-in-One Chapter)

"The Liangyi Sect truly lives up to its reputation as the leader of all sects in the thirty-six prefectures of the Eastern Divine Land. Its sword prodigy is indeed worthy of its name. In my opinion, the Liangyi Sect will definitely come out on top in this sword competition."

"If the Taiji Dao, the Four Symbols Sect, and the Eight Trigrams Sect want to take away the Sword Pavilion, they will have to wait another hundred years."

After years of honing his skills in the Tower of Babel, Xia Shaoyang intended to seek out Zhang Ruochen for a rematch after emerging from seclusion. However, he never expected that Zhang Ruochen, whom he regarded as one of his two greatest enemies in life, had already perished, leaving him with only regret.

Lin Yue's previous sword strike reminded him of Zhang Ruochen's former prowess.

Huang Shenyi, carrying the Holy Sword, smiled faintly and said, "His cultivation is only at the seventh transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm. Once he breaks through to the ninth transformation, who below the Half-Saint level can be his opponent? In this Sword Tournament, the Two Elements Sect is indeed sitting on its laurels."

On the surface, the two were praising Lin Yue, but in reality, they were putting him in the eye of the storm.

The Sword Tournament is a grand event held once every hundred years for sword cultivators in the Kunlun Realm. Regardless of whether they are righteous or evil, anyone whose cultivation level reaches the level of a half-saint can participate.

At the same time, the Sword Tournament will determine the fate of Sword Pavilion for the next hundred years based on the victories and defeats of the younger generation.

The higher Lin Yue is praised, the more the younger generation of geniuses from the other three major Daoist sects will regard him as a thorn in their side. Even the older generation of powerhouses might have some dirty thoughts for the sake of Sword Pavilion.

Shao Lin, who had already reached the halfway point of the mountain, heard Huang Shenyi and Xia Shaoyang's conversation, and his expression turned very gloomy.

Lin Yue's displayed strength was indeed formidable, but to conclude that the Liangyi Sect was the ultimate winner of the Sword Tournament based on that alone is to underestimate him as the top talent of the Sixiang Sect.

"An unknown nobody, who knows what kind of opportunity he obtained, cultivated the Four Spiritual Treasures Body, and people really thought he was a dragon among men. But it was just a flash in the pan. If he dares to climb the mountain, I will personally send him down."

Shao Lin snorted coldly, prompting the two outstanding talents of the Four Symbols Sect beside him to agree repeatedly.

The martial artists of the Fish-Dragon Realm on the Mountain of Books came from all over the Five Regions and most of them did not know each other. The battle between Lin Yue and Xia Shaoyang at the foot of the mountain made them look at the two of them differently and regard them as strong contenders for the position of World Son at today's World Son Banquet.

There were also powerful forces in the Eastern Region that were on good terms with the Eastern Region Holy King's Mansion. They were shocked and furious to see Chen Kai reduced to Xia Shaoyang's shadow of the Heavenly Demon.

First, Chen Tianpeng died under Huang Shenyi's sword, and now Chen Kai, the strongest among them, has also been refined into a demon shadow, living a life worse than death.

The once vast Eastern Region Holy King's Mansion now has only two female heirs, one of whom is not even a member of the same family, which is truly lamentable.

In this generation of the Eastern Region, both the Eastern Region Holy Academy and the Eastern Region Holy King's Mansion have been suppressed by the black market and can't even lift their heads. Only the Liangyi Sect is slightly better off, having produced a peerless genius with the Innate Extreme Yang Body, and now another sword prodigy, Lin Yue.

If it weren't for the young master of the First-Rank Hall, who was regarded as a prodigy, the Two Elements Sect wouldn't be considered inferior.

Halfway up the mountain, Zhong Yao, who had already taken her seat at the back of the Heavenly Pride Seat, looked at the scene below and her understanding of the evil geniuses of the Eastern Region deepened even further.

Although the young master Di Yi was the most outstanding among his predecessors, the Eastern Region's evil path still produced many outstanding individuals under his leadership. One was the Yellow God Star Envoy, and the other was a descendant of the Evil Emperor. Either of them could become the inheritor of a major sect.

As far as she knew, there were several individuals in the First-Class Hall of the Eastern Region Black Market who were no weaker than these two.

Given time, as this generation of young people in the Eastern Region grows up, the vast Eastern Region may indeed be able to recreate the glory of the heretical sects from eight hundred years ago.

Of the four heirs of the Eastern Region Holy King's Mansion, apart from Huang Yanchen, Chen Lan'er, the only remaining one, could no longer stand idly by. If she didn't even have the courage to stand up, she would never have the chance to inherit the Eastern Region Holy King's Mansion.

"Chen family members, listen to my command, follow me and help Lin Yue fight the enemy."

Huang Yanchen also came to her senses, drew her holy sword, and stood beside Zhang Ruochen, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.

Chen Lan'er's martial arts cultivation is only at the eighth level of the Fish-Dragon Transformation, but her spiritual power is extremely high, having reached the peak of the forty-fourth level. She is the number one spiritual power genius in the Eastern Region Holy King's Mansion and a master of formations.

Aside from the four heirs, the Fish-Dragon Realm martial artists of the Eastern Domain Holy King's Mansion didn't have any particularly outstanding figures, but their strength lay in their sheer numbers. At Chen Lan'er's command, the Chen family members and various forces allied with the Chen family responded, including many experts from the Human Hero and Heavenly Pride seats who were eager to try their luck.

The imperial edict issued by Empress Chi Yao more than a month ago has thoroughly stirred up the grudges between the righteous and evil factions on the Eastern Region. From saints to the four realms of martial arts, countless bloody battles are breaking out every day along the Fallen God Mountain Range.

Even at the banquet for the children of the world, the two sides remained at loggerheads.

Chen Lan'er stood in the middle of the Chen family, with array seals flying around her and a fierce fighting spirit on her face. As long as she could seize the opportunity to make a name for herself at the World Prince Banquet, she could use the power of the group to suppress the prestige of Huang Shenyi and Xia Shaoyang.

With Chen Tianpeng and Chen Kai gone, the position of heir to the Eastern Region Holy King's Mansion is undoubtedly hers.

She looked around, suddenly feeling quite smug, then turned her gaze to Huang Yanchen, only to see him wearing a mocking smile, as if he were laughing at her.

"Huang Yanchen, what are you laughing at?"

Chen Lan'er's abrupt voice echoed at the foot of the mountain of books, surprising everyone. Even Huang Yanchen and Zhang Ruochen, who were holding swords and ready for battle, frowned and turned to look.

Did I... just laugh?

Huang Yanchen looked puzzled.

"Crack!"

A sword light suddenly burst forth from the crowd. The sword was originally aimed at Chen Lan'er's throat, but sensing the gaze cast by the talented woman from the mountaintop, the sword changed direction and swept across Chen Lan'er's lower body, instantly severing her legs and causing blood to gush out.

As screams rang out, the Chen family members finally came to their senses and looked in horror at the black-clad figure who had been lurking in the crowd.

"The so-called number one genius of the Chen family in terms of mental strength is nothing more than this. His willpower is so weak that he can't even see through my illusion."

Ye Honglei walked towards the foot of the mountain of books with a light smile. The figures beside her were also outstanding individuals, each with an unfathomable aura.

Chen Lan'er's face was as white as paper, her eyes filled with terror as she looked at Han Qiu, who was standing not far away with his sword.

If it weren't for the fact that they were in the Book Mountain, where the Holy Book Maiden had set a rule against killing, she would have already died from that sword strike.

Han Qiu didn't even glance at her from beginning to end. After severing her legs with a single sword strike, he looked up at the summit of the mountain of books and proclaimed loudly, "Han Qiu, the young master of the First-Class Hall of the Eastern Black Market, has been ordered to attend the World Prince Banquet and to assess the contemporary talents of the Kunlun Realm."

As soon as she finished speaking, a black vortex flew out from above her head. It was only a few dozen feet in diameter, but it caused the temperature at the foot of the entire Book Mountain to drop drastically, and even the surrounding light was swallowed up.

This is the dark dharma form generated after the Dark Body has reached a minor level of mastery. Coupled with the Dark Dao Sacred Dao rules that have been integrated into his martial soul, Han Qiu's strength has skyrocketed, placing him among the top of the younger generation in the Kunlun Realm.

The five members of Zifeng Star Envoy, Qingyi Star Envoy, Ziqian, Ziyuan, and Ale also released their powerful auras. Together with Ye Honglei and Han Qiu, although there were only seven of them, they made the hundreds and thousands of martial artists from the Eastern Region present feel suffocated.

Huang Shenyi and Xia Shaoyang exchanged a glance, feeling a great threat from Han Qiu's dark avatar. After a moment of silence, they stepped down from the Zihe Chariot and stood with Ye Honglei and the others.

The nine figures standing together represented the most outstanding talents of the Eastern Region's heretical sects, causing all forces on the Book Mountain to take notice.

Huang Yanchen's face turned pale upon seeing this scene. Any one of the nine figures in front of him had the strength to challenge for the King's Throne, and some of them, judging from their aura alone, were no weaker than the five who had already sat in the World Child position.

With such a united force, who can be their match at today's World Prince Banquet?
Unless the four major Daoist sects join forces, even the powerful and numerous Baiyue Demonic Sect is unlikely to be a match for them.

Zhang Ruochen felt several unfriendly gazes, which put him under considerable pressure. In a one-on-one fight, he was not afraid of anyone in the black market, but facing nine top experts alone... below the level of a half-saint, probably no one could do it.

"Lin Yue... let's avoid the limelight for now." Huang Yanchen, not wanting to clash with the black market because of her status as the heir to the Eastern Region Holy King's Mansion, had decided to back down.

If the standoff continues and provokes the black market to take action, her safety is secondary; Zhang Ruochen will definitely do everything in his power to protect her, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

Lying in a pool of blood, Chen Lan'er was overwhelmed with fear and pain, her emotions nearly collapsing. Her gaze toward Huang Yanchen was full of pleading.

"Sister Yanchen, save me... I won't compete with you for the heir position anymore..."

At the summit of the mountain of books, Gai Tianjiao, witnessing this scene, could no longer contain himself and wanted to get up and go to help.

Although the Eastern Region Holy King's Mansion and the Two Elements Sect are not exactly bound by fate, they are both righteous forces in the Eastern Region and are allies. As the leader of the Two Elements Sect, she naturally cannot sit idly by while the black market bullies the Eastern Region Holy King's Mansion.

Moreover, Huang Yanchen is accompanied by a sword prodigy from their Liangyi Sect.

There are sacred books and talented women on the mountain of books. Although killing is forbidden, it does not say that crippling people is forbidden.

Just as she was about to get up, she was locked onto by a powerful demonic aura. The owner of the demonic aura was also sitting in the realm seat; he was Ouyang Huan, the demonic son of the Moon Worshiping Demonic Sect.

"Now that we're up the mountain, why bother with the fighting down below? Let's stay here and be spectators."

The relationship between the Moon Worshiping Cult and the Black Market is quite complex. They are both allies and rivals. When the righteous path is powerful, the two join forces; when the righteous path is weak, they fight each other.

After the Evil Emperor killed the Xue Dynasty in Dingxuan Prefecture, the Black Market's prestige in the Eastern Region reached its peak in five hundred years. However, the imperial army, led by the Holy King's Mansion of the Eastern Region, launched a large-scale attack on the thirty-six prefectures of the Evil Land in the Eastern Region, which led to a very delicate cooperation between the Black Market's First-Class Hall and the Moon Worshiping Demonic Cult.

Of course, Ouyang Huan's purpose in taking action was not to help the black market, but to incite a battle between the black market and the Liangyi Sect, the Eastern Domain Holy Academy, and the Eastern Domain Holy King's Mansion, resulting in mutual destruction, which would best serve the interests of the Moon Worshiping Demon Sect.

If Gai Tianjiao were to take the stage, then Chi Wansui and Sui Han, representing the imperial court, and Bei Gonglan of Wushi Money Shop would all seize the opportunity to intervene.

At that time, with checks and balances from all sides, a war is unlikely to break out.

Undercurrents surged at the mountaintop, while an eerie silence descended at the foot of the mountain.

The Chen family and the people from the Eastern Sacred Academy all turned their attention to Huang Yanchen, and even many disciples of the Liangyi Sect glanced at her.

For various reasons, Huang Yanchen, whose cultivation level was not particularly outstanding, had become the nominal leader of the three major righteous forces in the Eastern Region.

If she yields and backs down, then from today onwards, the evil path will completely overwhelm the righteous path among the younger generation in the Eastern Region.

If she chooses to fight to the death, a major battle is imminent.

"Princess Yanchen".

Just then, Zi Qian stepped out from the crowd in the black market. Her gaze swept over Huang Yanchen and Lin Yue beside her, and she made a guess in her mind. She had already guessed most of Lin Yue's identity.

“There has never been a precedent of an outsider becoming the head of the Eastern Region Holy King’s Mansion. You should know better than I how you became the heir.”

"Today, we have come here on the orders of our young master, not specifically to deal with the Eastern Region Holy King's Mansion, but to establish the prestige of the Eastern Region Black Market First-Class Hall."

"Even with this sword prodigy from the Liangyi Sect here, you wouldn't be a match for him. Why risk hurting the person most important to you for useless vanity?"

Zi Qian spoke calmly, turning her gaze to Lin Yue, and continued, "Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly. People can get caught in their own mental vortex, doing what they think is best for the other person, but they are completely unaware that they are pushing them into a fire pit."

"I have said all I need to say. This is my way of expressing our friendship since we both came from Tianmo Ridge. Princess Yanchen, please make your decision as soon as possible."

Zi Qian's words were partly addressed to Huang Yanchen and partly to Zhang Ruochen.

Before the news of Zhang Ruochen's death came, Huang Yanchen still had some pursuit of fame and fortune, but now she has long understood that compared to fame and fortune, the person in front of her is the most important to her.

Even if one becomes a realm master and the master of the Eastern Region Holy King's Mansion, so what?
She turned to look at Zhang Ruochen beside her and smiled brightly, "Lin Yue, you just said that no matter what I ask you to do, you will do it according to my instructions, right?"

Zhang Ruochen was jolted awake by Zi Qian's words and began to doubt whether what he had done for Huang Yanchen was truly for her own good.

Cultivation, fame, fortune, and power are not what everyone pursues.

"No matter what choice Princess Yanchen makes, I will support you without hesitation." Some things we don't cherish when we have them, and we only regret it when we lose them.

Only when something is lost and then regained can one truly understand what they were pursuing.

Huang Yanchen sheathed the holy sword in her hand, her eyes sparkling like peach blossoms, as if she had returned to the time when she was still in the Tianmo Ridge Martial Arts Academy, without so many troubles or so many helpless predicaments.

"I don't want to attend the Worldly Banquet, nor do I want to be the heir of the Eastern Region Holy King's Mansion. Lin Yue, are you willing to give up everything with me, leave this place, and live a life of peace and tranquility, like a hermit in the wild?"

Zhang Ruochen stood there, stunned, unsure how to answer. Looking at the expectation in Huang Yanchen's eyes, he wanted to agree immediately, to cast aside his hatred and his grudges with Chi Yao, and take Huang Yanchen back to Tianmo Ridge and Yunwu County, to sail on the Luo River and live in seclusion in the mountains.

But he couldn't bring himself to say it. The sword that pierced his heart eight hundred years ago still tore at his soul whenever he thought of it, waking him from nightmares.

Huang Yanchen understood the answer from his silence. Her eyes turned dejected, the holy sword in her hand fell to the ground, and she turned away in a daze, transforming into a streak of light and escaping.

Tears, blown by the wind, fall at the foot of the mountain of books, reflecting a rainbow of colors; the bittersweet taste within is something few outsiders can know.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Ruochen felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if he had lost someone extremely important in his life at this moment.

Watching Huang Yanchen's departing figure, he finally couldn't sit idly by, worried that Huang Yanchen might do something irrational.

He picked up the fallen holy sword and gave chase.

The two figures disappeared from sight. Ziqian breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a glance with Ale, and smiled slightly.

Xia Shaoyang frowned, slightly puzzled, and said, "Isn't Huang Yanchen Zhang Ruochen's fiancée? How come she's so quickly falling head over heels in love with Lin Yue of the Liangyi Sect?"

He looked at Huang Shenyi, who also shook his head.

He doesn't understand women; women only slow down his sword-drawing speed.

Standing atop the mountain of books, the talented woman was somewhat moved by this scene.

After returning from the Tomb of Fallen Gods, she had already become suspicious of Lin Yue's identity and secretly investigated, discovering many suspicious points.

Seeing Huang Yanchen and Lin Yue's reactions, he had already guessed what was going on.

"What is love in this world that makes people willing to die for it? The word 'love' is truly difficult to understand."

She sighed softly, and for some reason, a figure in black robes appeared in her mind. She felt a sudden panic, but when she looked around and found that no one was paying attention to her, she felt relieved.

……

The mountain of books is majestic, while the city of Shentai remains as ancient and simple as ever.

In the northwest stands a tall building, reaching up to the floating clouds.

Zhengyang Tower stands atop Shentai Mountain, the highest point in the city. It has eighty-four stories and rises hundreds of feet high.

Downstairs, a group of young men, dressed in fine clothes and riding spirited horses, mostly of low cultivation level, not yet reaching the Fish-Dragon Realm, had not been given the opportunity to attend the World Child Banquet. So they all came to the highest point in the Divine Platform City, trying to climb the tower and look out at the Book Mountain outside the city.

The weather was strange; the sky over the other side of the mountain was crystal clear, and the sun was blazing.

On the other side of Shentai City, several layers of thin clouds gathered. Even though it was late autumn, muffled thunder could still be heard. Soon after, a light autumn rain began to fall, sometimes intermittently.

A green oil-paper umbrella came up from the foot of the mountain along the stone steps.

Many vendors came down from Zhengyang Tower and set up a wide variety of goods along the mountain road.

Recently, there has been a long period of autumn rain, and some elderly women have been tirelessly selling umbrellas with exquisite paintings.

However, most of the martial arts practitioners climbing the mountain today are quite skilled, and most of them are young people.

Apart from a few pretentious types, very few people lingered in front of the umbrellas.

Under the green umbrella, the woman in the white dress stopped in her tracks. Through the misty rain, she hesitated for a moment before walking toward the old woman selling umbrellas.

As someone approached, the old woman looked up and asked, "Young lady, what do you need?"

The autumn rain wasn't heavy, and one person couldn't carry two umbrellas, so the old woman assumed she had come to buy umbrellas for her companion.

There were quite a few young men and women coming up the mountain today, and presenting a carefully selected umbrella to the man they admired was quite a romantic gesture.

The young girl was too naive; offering an umbrella was nothing compared to sharing one. One wonders what kind of handsome, noble gentleman could be worthy of such a celestial beauty.

"How much is it?"

Luo Shuihan picked up an umbrella from the umbrella basket. The umbrella was painted with mandarin ducks playing in the water. The feathers were distinct and the eyes were clear and lifelike. It looked like it was made by a master.

"Ten silver coins, young lady, you have excellent taste."

She no longer needed silver coins. She had quite a few spirit crystals in her spatial ring, but only three silver coins.

However, a spirit crystal is not something an old woman without martial arts cultivation should possess. A child carrying gold in a bustling market would attract the covetous eyes of others, and the same applies to the old woman before them.

"This umbrella was made by Mr. Xuecang from the east of the city. He painted it himself. It's ten silver coins. You definitely won't lose out if you buy it, young lady."

She had been there for half a day and hadn't sold many umbrellas. The old woman seemed really eager to make the sale and tried her best to say nice things.

"Mandarin ducks symbolize loyalty and life, flying together in pairs. It has a very auspicious meaning and is suitable for personal use or as a gift for your loved one."

Luo Shuihan was somewhat conflicted; she genuinely liked this umbrella.

"Ten silver coins, I'll buy this umbrella for this young lady."

The well-fitting black robe was taken by the ungrateful talented woman that day and was never returned. The young man who came from the foot of the mountain is now wearing a white robe, which is quite unusual.

The most handsome young man is one in white robes, and standing next to the woman in white, they are a match made in heaven.

Ten silver coins, not one more and not one less, landed in the old woman's hands, making her smile and showering her with compliments.

"Together under the mandarin duck umbrella, they fly together in perfect harmony!"

The young man opened the umbrella, and rainwater fell onto its surface. The mandarin ducks on the umbrella seemed to come alive, swimming in the light and shadow—it was truly magical.

As soon as the old woman finished speaking, she felt a weight in her palm. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was two gold coins made in the style of the imperial court.

Two gold coins are worth two hundred silver coins; she hadn't earned that much in a whole day selling umbrellas.

The young man moved the mandarin duck umbrella in his hand to the woman's head, and then reached out to put away the green duckweed umbrella.

The two shared an umbrella and walked towards Zhengyang Tower.

The old woman carefully put away the gold coins, and when she looked up, she saw this scene, and a smile appeared on her lips.

The girl was naive, but fortunately the young master knew how to be romantic.

A pair of beautiful women sharing one umbrella—that's how this mandarin duck umbrella should be used.

"I've made quite a bit of money today. I can use it to buy a batch of high-quality paper for Mr. Xuezang later."

Zhengyang Tower has eighty-four floors. Anyone can climb the first forty floors, but only those at the Heavenly Realm can climb the next twenty floors, and only those at the Fish-Dragon Realm can climb the next twenty floors.

As for the last four levels, only those of noble status or high cultivation can ascend them, and naturally, they will not be able to see the most beautiful scenery in the Divine Platform City.

The stairs leading to the last four floors are guarded by disciples of the Liangyi Sect, and are also protected by an array.

Luo Shuihan took out the token of a saint from the Eastern Region Holy Academy, and only then did the guarding disciple open the passage.

"Gentlemen, a sage is attending a ceremony on the top floor of Zhengyang Tower today. You can only go up to the eighty-third floor."

Unlike the bustling crowds on the first eighty floors, the eighty-third floor of Zhengyang Tower was deserted except for the figures of Di Yi and Luo Shuihan.

Those who are qualified to ascend to this tower are naturally qualified to attend the Jiezi Banquet.

"Why didn't Miss Luo attend the World Prince Banquet? With your strength, even if you can't compete for the World Prince position, you should at least have a place among the other three ranks," Di Yi asked with a faint smile.

"Didn't you not go either?"

"I'm already a half-saint, so I can't attend the World Child Banquet. Otherwise, I really would like to go and join in the fun."

"I see, that's a pity." Luo Shuihan nodded.

The air fell silent.

"Why...are you here?"

"Because of it." Di Yi opened his palm, revealing a pair of jade pendants. "You said before that only you could sense the connection between the two pendants, but now there is a second person."

Luo Shuihan paused for a moment, then took out her own jade pendant. The two jade pendants, reunited after a long separation, shimmered with a translucent fluorescence.

"Mandarin ducks are always in pairs; perhaps it is only right that two people should be able to feel their magic."

The two locked eyes. The Qingping Umbrella and the Mandarin Duck Umbrella were placed to the side. Di Yi slowly grasped Luo Shuihan's smooth, delicate hand, which was warm and gentle, a rare sight in this moment.

"So, you're not going to the World Prince Banquet because you knew I was coming?" Di Yi teased.

Luo Shuihan shook his head slightly, pointed to the top of his head, and revealed a slightly sly smile.

"Of course not. Today, the sages are discussing the Dao on the roof of Zhengyang Tower. I came here with Master Xu."

Upon hearing this, Di Yi froze on the spot.

Luo Xu is also at Zhengyang Tower, so wouldn't he be caught red-handed for stealing someone else's cabbage?

Fortunately, today's World Prince Banquet prohibits fighting within the Divine Platform City, and the Black Market Saints are also present inside and outside the city. It seems that Luo Xu will not dare to attack him.

I felt a little guilty, as if there was a gaze watching me from behind.

(End of this chapter)