The Human Emperor

Each step on the path of martial arts was excruciatingly difficult. Though Wang Chong himself might not have realized it, Eunuch Gao understood that this comprehension speed was truly praiseworthy.

And when one considered that Wang Chong was only twenty years of age, it was even more shocking.

Since ancient times, there were probably few people besides the Sage Emperor who could compare to Wang Chong.

“…Your progress is already more than one year faster than the Sage Emperor had anticipated.”

A thick mantle of snow surrounded the imperial mausoleum. Gao Lishi, wearing a simple robe, was seated cross-legged on the snow.

“His Majesty?”

Wang Chong’s heart thumped in response to Gao Lishi’s words.

Ever since the Sage Emperor had descended and replaced Third Son Xuan, Gao Lishi had been at his side. He would have been a direct witness to the Sage Emperor’s breakthroughs in martial arts.

He had probably been there when the Sage Emperor ascended from the Subtle realm to the Grotto Heaven realm. More importantly, the Sage Emperor had realized that his life was running out and made plans. It was hard to say what other confidential instructions the Sage Emperor had left behind.

If the Sage Emperor had predicted that he would encounter this sort of difficulty when breaking into the Grotto Heaven realm and had left something behind…

Wang Chong’s heart began to beat faster and faster.

Wang Chong suppressed his excitement and sternly said, “Eunuch Gao, how did the Sage Emperor break into the Grotto Heaven realm? Did he say anything about it, or leave behind anything related to it?”

“Heh, you’re talking about something related to you? In truth, the Sage Emperor left everything he wanted to teach you in the copper box. How could I possibly teach you anything?”

Eunuch Gao chuckled, understanding what Wang Chong meant.

“Every step of the path of martial arts is difficult. There are no shortcuts!”

“Ah!”

Wang Chong was left disappointed by Eunuch Gao’s words.

It seemed that he had been overthinking things.

Eunuch Gao began to speak again. “But though the Sage Emperor did not leave behind some secret method to breaking into the Grotto Heaven realm, he truly did leave behind a few words.

“His Majesty said that if you really did manage to reach this level one day, beginning to break into the Grotto Heaven realm but still missing one crucial piece, he wanted me to tell you that he would always believe in you.

“Once one reaches the Subtle realm, each additional step is more difficult than ascending to heaven. No one can teach you what comes after this, because each martial artist comprehends different things.

“‘Grotto Heaven realm’ is only three words, but every person comprehends this realm and uses it in a different way. Telling too much would do more harm than good. After all, the same set of clothes won’t fit the same on different people.

“His Majesty only wanted to say this. No matter what, you must always believe in yourself. You must open up your own road, and you cannot be fooled by external appearances.

“In addition, His Majesty said that he knew that you were a top-class martial artist from the moment he saw you, that you did not need to rely on external objects. Even without guidance, you would still be able to find your own path.

“Only with a clear heart can you see your nature, and only then can you see your true self!” Eunuch Gao sternly said.

Eunuch Gao’s energy vanished, leaving Wang Chong alone with his thoughts.

Eunuch Gao had truthfully provided no useful information, but…

Perhaps I really was confused! Wang Chong said to himself.

Ever since his reincarnation, Wang Chong had been constantly busy. The southwest, the northwest, his family, the Youzhou rebellion, the future calamity… he had far, far too many things to worry about. This left him with little time to cultivate.

The Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art, the Art of God and Demon Obliteration, the Origin Immortal Art… Wang Chong had arranged it so that he cultivated only the strongest arts of the world, but as he grew stronger and stronger, he began to interact with laws and realms that didn’t have much of a connection with arts and techniques.

And Wang Chong had forgotten that the true apex martial arts had been created through the understandings and comprehensions of their individual creators.

Whether it was the Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art, the Art of God and Demon Obliteration, or the Origin Immortal Art, someone had created them from nothing.

And now, he had unwittingly arrived at this pass.

From this perspective, the Sage Emperor was right. His words had implied that he needed to cut his own path and create a weapon that was truly his own.

Whoosh!

Wang Chong floated in the air, the winds howling around him as he thought.

All of his experiences from this life and the last flitted through his mind. Wang Chong recalled those seniors from his last life and that human who had lived countless epochs ago.

The apocalyptic era had been the most tragic era for humanity, but it had also been an era in which human martial arts and formations thrived. In order to deal with the otherworldly invaders, humans had thought of many solutions. The ten great formations had been created by bringing together the knowledge and intelligence of countless humans.

“Perhaps it really is time for me to create a path wholly my own,” Wang Chong muttered in a voice only he could hear.

Slowly, Wang Chong’s anxiety and pressure faded away, his mind becoming as placid as an ancient well.

This was a state he had never achieved before.

For a long time now, Wang Chong had been burdened by an immense pressure. In order to deal with the calamity and assist humanity in walking out of that frightening darkness from his last life, Wang Chong had taken on a pressure that left him panting for breath.

Thus, there had never been a time when Wang Chong had truly relaxed. Even when cultivating, Wang Chong was extremely aggressive and objective-minded. But this time, right when the war was about to begin, the Sage Emperor’s words had truly made Wang Chong completely empty his mind.

All of his pressure and burdens were temporarily put down. Wang Chong felt his soul and body both relax, each cell seeming to stretch.

In these circumstances, Wang Chong’s Psychic Energy spread out boundlessly, his mental senses taking in everything and increasing his understanding of spacetime, the laws of the world, and the various energies around him.

But at this moment, Wang Chong did not care about such things.

His mind had always been constantly whirring, thinking about so many things—not just martial arts, but also memories from that brief life of his before his transmigration.

All of this had formed a befuddling fog before his eyes, and in truth, he had long ago lost a clear image of who he was.

‘Only with a clear heart can you see your nature, and only then can you see your true self!’

The words the Sage Emperor had left behind rumbled in his mind.

At this moment, as if a giant hammer had slammed down, the befuddling fog in his mind was blasted apart, and all those countless meandering thoughts were blown away.

Buzz!

Wang Chong opened his eyes in shock, and at this moment, he saw the capital once more.

The upright and square walls, the numerous buildings and pavilions, the pedestrians walking the streets… all of these images shrank down until they eventually became like images on a chessboard.

As he looked down on the buildings of the capital, a thought occurred to him.

Time, space—aren’t all these buildings individual spaces? Perhaps I was wrong from the beginning. Space doesn’t need to just be sought from within, but can also be found without.

The essence of the Grotto Heaven realm might not be found by observing the miniature, but by observing the grandiose, Wang Chong said to himself.

Boom!

As he was thinking this, a boom came from the southwest. Turning to look, he saw a simple thatched hut near the city walls collapsing under the weight of snow.

Isn’t this the destruction of space…

With this thought, Wang Chong suddenly froze.

Neigh!

Hearing another disturbance, Wang Chong turned to look. It seemed that several martial artists had begun to fight on the street. The City Guard had taken notice and had swiftly organized into several groups that had begun to close around the fighting martial artists.

From Wang Chong’s perspective, he could see that one group of City Guard had formed a circle, as had the City Guard on the other side.

This was a classical tactic with which one could defend against attacks from other angles while advancing.

The two groups of City Guard drew closer and closer until, ultimately, they combined.

From Wang Chong’s perspective, it was two circles getting closer and closer until they fused. Wasn’t this the fusion of different spaces?

Wang Chong pondered the matter even more deeply.

Clingclang! Clingclang! The hammering of metal rang out through the snowstorm.

Turning to the sound, he saw thick plumes of smoke rising from the Zhang Clan estate as its smiths hammered metal. In the center of their estate, a metal contraption that was as large as a house rapidly took shape through the effort of ten-some Zhang Clan members.

This was a war machine being created for the frontline base in the northeast.

Isn’t this just the construction of a space? Wang Chong inwardly muttered to himself.

His mind was moving rapidly now. At this time, his understanding of Grotto Heaven realm laws had completely shifted. He had always believed that only by immersing himself in the laws of the world could he understand their fundamentals, but as he looked around, he realized that all things in the world were infused with its principles.

Crack!

Something seemed to break. Deep in Wang Chong’s mind, that immense and sturdy barrier suddenly fractured, a massive fissure spreading through it.

Buzz!

And as Wang Chong came to comprehend these principles, the world before him changed.