The Human Emperor

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“Chong-er, what did you notice?”

Li Lin had been listening in on the conversation.

Wang Chong only shook his head and slowly scanned the drilling ground. The crowd was jeering at Duan Zhuyan, but Wang Chong only grew uneasier.

This battle had been almost entirely under his control from start to finish, but after Zhao Fengchen used the Xuan-Huang Link Formation against Duan Zhuyan, he actually felt like he had lost control.

“Usually, Duan Zhuyan should have already lost, and just like you see, the drilling ground is only so big, and no matter what, he can’t leave its confines. In the end, he will still lose! But have you noticed Lu Qiongji? He’s acting far too calm when someone on his own side is about to lose,” Wang Chong said.

Li Lin and Bai Siling felt their hearts thump. They had been so focused on the battle between Zhao Fengchen and Duan Zhuyan that they had hardly noticed anything else. But now that they looked at Lu Qiongji, they realized why Wang Chong felt something was strange.

Lu Qiongji was truly too composed!

He and Duan Zhuyan were both the First Prince’s men, and they had both participated in this competition so that they could take complete control over the Imperial Army. Now, Duan Zhuyan was being chased around the drilling ground and could lose at any moment, yet Lu Qiongji remained motionless on his horse as if the battle had nothing to do with him. This was not at all the appearance of someone who was watching Duan Zhuyan’s imminent defeat.

“And have you noticed the First Prince and Hou Junji? A plan is about to fail, but they’re still so composed!” Wang Chong sternly said.

The Imperial Army competition was far too important for the First Prince.

After numerous years of biding his time, the First Prince had finally reached the finish line. He would not permit a failure.

If Duan Zhuyan were about to lose, he could have never been so composed!

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Wang Chong felt a deep unease take hold of him. When things were strange, there was evil afoot, and the reactions of the First Prince and Lu Qiongji were far too strange.

Li Lin and Bai Siling also began to grow nervous. They had begun to notice something strange, but for the moment, they couldn’t think of any trick the Eastern Palace could play.

Wang Chong ignored Bai Siling and Li Lin as his mind rapidly worked.

Suddenly, Wang Chong recalled how, other than when the six Vice Marshals challenged Zhao Fengchen in a row during the first round, everything had gone too smoothly.

In the second round, Zhao Fengchen had somehow avoided Duan Zhuyan and Lu Qiongji, and defeated the three weakest opponents to advance.

In the third round, Zhao Fengchen had been allowed to go first and challenge any one of the three Grand Marshals, including the one he respected the most, Li Xuanyi.

In normal circumstances, Zhao Fengchen would have challenged Li Xuanyi and taken his place, then watched the others fight. It would only be at the end that he would receive challenges from the other two!

At that time, Zhao Fengchen would have been a Grand Marshal and eligible to be challenged by Duan Zhuyan and Lu Qiongji…

“Wait! They’re buying time!” Wang Chong almost immediately blurted out as the thought occurred to him.

Li Lin and Bai Siling both stared at Wang Chong.

At this same moment, on the northern end of the drilling ground, as Hou Junji watched the pursued and pursuer get closer and closer, he faintly smiled.

“It’s about ready!” Hou Junji suddenly said, so softly that he was the only one who could hear. At that moment, his eyes erupted with astonishing light.

In the distance, as if in response to Hou Junji’s words, just when Zhao Fengchen was about to catch up to Duan Zhuyan…

Without any warning, Zhao Fengchen suddenly shivered and then vomited a mouthful of black blood. HIs face rapidly paled while the dazzling halos under his feet suddenly dimmed. The astonishing momentum of the Xuanwu Army soldiers abruptly plunged by an order of magnitude.

Bang!

All the spectators cried out in shock.

“What… what happened here?”

“Marshal Zhao vomited black blood?!”

This was far too sudden. A second ago, Zhao Fengchen had been ascendant and on the verge of seizing victory, but now, his aura had been thrown into disarray and he vomited black blood as if he had suffered a heavy wound.

This contrast was simply too stark, and no one had any clue what was going on!

At this moment, the most shocked were not the spectators, but the five hundred soldiers of the Xuanwu Army.

“Milord!”

“Milord!”

Upon seeing their commander’s body sway, the Xuanwu Army soldiers paled in fright and hastily moved to steady him. Each one of them was utterly flabbergasted, with no idea what was going on. All they knew was that Marshal Zhao’s condition was extremely poor!

“An excellent chance!”

At this moment, Duan Zhuyan suddenly turned around. No one could see that there was a cruel and smug smile forming on his face, concealed by his thick armor.

“Finally my turn!”

Duan Zhuyan coldly sneered, and a moment later, clang! His sword left its sheath as he used Zhao Fengchen’s moment of weakness to launch his counterattack.

“Kill!”

With this thunderous roar, Duan Zhuyan charged forward with his two-hundred-some cavalry. No! At this moment, there was no need to wait for his men!

Zhao Fengchen was enfeebled and his five hundred men had fallen into disarray. None of them could pose a threat to Duan Zhuyan now.

All he needed to do was kill Zhao Fengchen to bring everything to an end.

Neigh!

With a fierce cry, Duan Zhuyan led several dozen soldiers and charged at Zhao Fengchen in a simple Arrow Formation.

“Shameless!”

The spectators all couldn’t help but curse at this sight. Given the strength Duan Zhuyan had displayed, they had all taken him to be a heroic character, but he had turned out to be one of those people who was willing to resort to any method to reach his goal.

“Hmph! Stubborn pedants!”

The First Prince’s face turned cold. He focused entirely on Duan Zhuyan, caring naught for the curses and rebukes.

The Imperial Army competition had reached its most crucial moment. As long as he could seize control of the one hundred thousand soldiers of the Imperial Army, the throne of the Nine and Five was his, and at that point, all the curses and rebukes in the world wouldn’t matter!

On the other end, Duan Zhuyan had built up an unstoppable momentum.

Clang!

A sharp edge swept a thin arc through the air as Duan Zhuyan rose into the air and hurtled toward Zhao Fengchen. He would use this moment of weakness to end Zhao Fengchen’s life, ending this contest once and for all.

“Protect Milord!”

Cries of alarm came from the mouths of the Xuanwu Army soldiers as they rushed to stop Duan Zhuyan.

But all of them were swept aside before they could even get close.

In the blink of an eye, Duan Zhuyan penetrated through the army and reached Zhao Fengchen.

“Die for me!”

Duan Zhuyan’s eyes were cold as his dantian exploded with Stellar Energy, and searing flames began to surge toward Zhao Fengchen.

The fabric of space buckled under this terrifying energy, and all the Xuanwu Army soldiers were blasted away along with their horses, creating a large clearing around Zhao Fengchen.

“Lord Zhao!”

Li Lin and Bai Siling cried out in shock. All of this had happened too quickly, with mere seconds between Zhao Fengchen vomiting blood and Duan Zhuyan turning around and charging back. Zhao Fengchen had gone from being the imminent victor to having his life in grave peril.

And in his condition, Zhao Fengchen was no match for Duan Zhuyan.

Reality played out exactly as everyone had feared.

Bang!

The spear in Duan Zhuyan’s hand slammed into Zhao Fengchen with terrific force. Neeeigh! Zhao Fengchen’s horse was the first to break, its legs going limp as it dropped to the ground with blood pouring out of every orifice. As for Zhao Fengchen, a large part of his chest rapidly crumpled inward.

If not for the suit of Meteoric Metal armor Wang Chong had given him, Zhao Fengchen would have been pierced straight through!

“Die!”

A cruel light appeared in Duan Zhuyan’s eyes as he continued to thrust forward with both hands. Zhao Fengchen’s horse was already dead, so according to the rules, even if Zhao Fengchen didn’t die, he would still lose once he fell to the ground.

But just when everyone thought Zhao Fengchen was going to lose—

Clap!

Time seemed to stop as a steel gauntlet reached out and grabbed the tip of Duan Zhuyan’s spear. With just one hand, Zhao Fengchen somehow managed to stop himself from falling and stopped in midair.

“Ah!”

Everyone cried out in disbelief, and Duan Zhuyan was just as shocked. He shook his wrist, attempting to toss Zhao Fengchen to the ground, but at this moment, he saw the look in Zhao Fengchen’s eyes.

While his eyes were dim and his breathing was ragged, his eyes were bursting with unbelievable resolve and determination.

Duan Zhuyan instinctively felt an ill foreboding, but it was already too late.