Chapter 131: Do Me a Favor

The Celestial Emperor felt his shackles dissolve. Looking at Jiang Yuan, he saw that the man had clearly reached the Semi-Saint realm! This left the Celestial Emperor deeply puzzled; only moments ago, Jiang Yuan had been a mere Golden Immortal. How could he have ascended to the level of a Semi-Saint in such a short span of time? What kind of hidden methods did he possess?

This sudden turn of events annoyed the Celestial Emperor. The feeling of things slipping beyond his control was deeply unpleasant. From the moment Jiang Yuan and his party arrived in the Celestial Clan, everything had been under his watchful eye. Whether it was the death of Yun Yi and his son or the demise of the Fourth Elder, Yun Cang, he had seen it all. He had not intervened; such minor sacrifices meant little to the Celestial Clan. He had wanted to see what gave the Human Emperor the confidence to storm into their territory so recklessly. He had not expected, however, that he would have to reveal his own hand to force the Human Emperor to show his trump card.

The Celestial Emperor looked at Jiang Yuan, whose aura now rivaled his own, and smiled dismissively. "Although I do not know what methods you used to elevate yourself to the rank of a Semi-Saint, everything comes with a price. Even if you are a Semi-Saint now, the duration for which you can maintain this state is surely limited. I am curious to see how long you can hold on. As for saving them, do not even think about it. With your strength as a newly minted Semi-Saint, you are far from being a match for me."

"Why not put it to the test?" Jiang Yuan sneered, though he felt a flicker of trepidation. He had not expected the Celestial Emperor to discern the time limit of his transformation at a single glance. He was truly worthy of the title of Celestial Emperor.

"Then let us play," the Celestial Emperor said with a playful tone. Despite Jiang Yuan’s bravado, the Emperor remained confident that everything was within his grasp.

Jiang Yuan did not care to engage in further banter, as he only had the time it takes for half a stick of incense to burn. If he could not find an opening to rescue Zhang Kui and the others within that window, they would all likely perish here today. Clutching the Xuanyuan Sword, Jiang Yuan charged toward the Celestial Emperor.

Zhang Kui watched Jiang Yuan with pride. He had not known his King possessed such a trump card to attain the combat power of a Semi-Saint. He felt more joy than he would have had he broken through to the Semi-Saint realm himself. Such a trump card would only be used by the King in a life-or-death situation, yet today, he had used it for their sake. How could a subject not be willing to die for such a King?

"The King, he..." Gao Lanying stared at Jiang Yuan in shock, as if she were seeing a stranger.

Zhang Kui said to his wife with a touch of pride, "After you have served the King for a while longer, you will realize that anything is possible when it comes to him."

Gao Lanying fell silent. Some things must be experienced personally to truly grasp the indescribable impact.

Nezha looked at Jiang Yuan with sparkling eyes; this aura, this power—it was far superior to that of his own master. Yunhua also watched the Human Emperor with complex emotions. She had not expected the Human Emperor to display such strength in this moment of crisis. Perhaps she truly did have a chance to leave the Celestial Clan?

The most relieved among them was the Demon Saint Fei Lian. He was glad he had not broken ties with this boy earlier. So, the boy had not been making empty threats after all; if he had failed to keep his promise, the consequences would have been truly unbearable. Fei Lian decided to serve the Human Emperor faithfully for these ten years. A man who would use such a trump card for his subordinates could not be a person of low character. He would surely gain his freedom after a decade.

Everyone present felt a flicker of hope, believing they had a chance to escape. Ultimately, it depended on whether Jiang Yuan could withstand the pressure of the Celestial Emperor to lead them out. Although they trusted Jiang Yuan, the current state of battle was not optimistic. Jiang Yuan was being suppressed by the Celestial Emperor. After all, his Semi-Saint status was forcibly attained; he was unfamiliar with the skills and techniques of the realm, let alone compared to the Celestial Emperor, who had occupied this level for years. Furthermore, the Celestial Emperor was a peak Semi-Saint, only a wall away from becoming a true Saint.

A sense of despair rose in Jiang Yuan’s heart. Was the gap truly this vast?

"Do you feel powerless? Why is the gap between us so great when we are both Semi-Saints?" the Celestial Emperor asked, observing Jiang Yuan with amusement.

"We still fight!" Jiang Yuan shouted. Regardless of the outcome, he had to try his best; he was not just fighting for himself. If he were only thinking of his own survival, he knew he could escape. But Zhang Kui and the others would be left here forever. If they could die for him, why could he not die for them? What were the Great Shang or the Human Race if he could not protect his own family and friends? Even if he became the greatest tyrant in history, what of it?

Jiang Yuan was not a man who liked loneliness. That was why he had desired an heir—he wanted a sense of belonging in this world of the Investiture of the Gods, so he would not feel so adrift.

"You are different from the Human Emperors after Yu the Great. You are more like Shennong and the others—you are not afraid of death," the Celestial Emperor remarked, a rare compliment.

"If I die, I will drag you down with me! If you dare kill me, you will not only bear the burden of karma, but you will also have my two godfathers coming for your head!" Jiang Yuan growled. "I want to see how many lashes you can take this time!"

"Two?" The Celestial Emperor was puzzled. How had he acquired two godfathers in such a short time?

"You thought only Senior Shennong was my godfather? Suirenshi is one as well!" Jiang Yuan was a master at borrowing power.

"Suirenshi is still alive?" The Celestial Emperor was not a Saint, and there were things in this world he did not understand. If he had attained sainthood, perhaps he would not care so much about the prosperity of the Celestial Clan. If not, the Three Pure Ones would have unified the Three Realms long ago.

"Are you afraid?"

"What would I have to fear? Even if they could appear here, I am not far from sainthood myself. Why should I fear them?" the Celestial Emperor sneered. "Enough. You have had enough chances. I see you cannot hold on much longer, so let me finish this for you."

As Jiang Yuan heard these words, he felt a terrifying pressure descend upon him, as if the surrounding space had frozen solid. It seemed the Celestial Emperor was indeed not far from becoming a Saint. This pressure rendered Jiang Yuan unable to move.

The Celestial Emperor looked at him with a faint smile. "Now, stand there and watch as I kill your people."

Jiang Yuan could not speak; the veins on his forehead bulged, and his eyes turned bloodshot. The Celestial Emperor would not kill him, but he would certainly kill Zhang Kui and the others. Jiang Yuan watched helplessly as Zhang Kui and his wife were lifted into the air. He felt only powerlessness and guilt.

He remembered his first meeting with Zhang Kui, when Zhang Kui heard he was heading to the Northern Barbarians and had left Mianchi County specifically to protect him—or rather, to protect the King of the Great Shang. At that time, Zhang Kui must have been disappointed in him. Yet, for the future of the Great Shang, Zhang Kui had set those feelings aside. Since then, Zhang Kui had remained by his side, and Jiang Yuan had come to rely on him more and more. There was one trait in Zhang Kui that Jiang Yuan particularly loved: no matter the command, even if Zhang Kui had doubts, he would execute it without hesitation. He was the most loyal subordinate in Jiang Yuan’s heart.

Now, to watch this trusted subordinate die before his eyes—how could Jiang Yuan accept it? He struggled to break free from the shackles, but to no avail.

"Celestial Emperor, grant me a favor and let them go."

A gentle, resonant voice, like a melody from heaven, echoed through the air.