Chapter 1593: King Taishan

Chapter 1593: King Taishan

At the same time in the imperial capital of Chu, Emperor Jing Run was also being driven back to the hole where he came from.

Ye Qing alone was almost too much for him to deal with, and now a greater Sage than Ye Qing was getting involved. Naturally, Emperor Jing Run could not put up any sort of useful resistance at all, nor did he have any way to escape. He could only watch in helplessness as the Earthly Sovereign Bell came ever closer and threatened to swallow him whole.

“Are you really going to become King Taishan’s enemy, Ye Qing? You will regret this!” By now, Emperor Jing Run was looking like a ball of snow being burned alive by the sun and a roaring fire, melting and sizzling everywhere. The Luo Feng Crown on his head was tilted, the Yin Heaven Robe he was wearing was damaged, and the Son of Heaven Sword of Yellow Spring he was wielding was covered in cracks. It looked like it might shatter at any moment.

“I will not regret something I’ve already committed to,” Ye Qing declared. If he regretted this decision, then he would never have taken action to begin with. Since he had, he would not regret it even if he died.

But of course, he wasn’t going to die yet, at least not now.

“I cannot accept this! I cannot accept this!”

As the Earthly Sovereign Bell came closer and closer, Emperor Jing Run’s face threatened to explode with hatred and defiance.

“Sigh...” It was at this moment a wistful sigh resounded in everyone’s ears. It sounded like it came from the distant unknown; from times that were old beyond measure. It was ephemeral, ancient, and illusory, and yet everyone heard it as clear as day.

Even scarier, everything in the world started slowing down after the sigh. It was as if age itself was coming to a stop; time itself was freezing over.

Be it the Chief Libationist and the Six Ghosts and Gods in the Nether, or Ye Qing and Emperor Jing Run in the human world, they all discovered that they couldn’t move all of a sudden.

It was at this moment a person stepped out of the formless nothing.

The silhouette was transparent and impossible to identify. However, their presence was indescribably mysterious, profound, and noble.

The person walked unhurriedly and elegantly. When he stepped past the Six Ghosts and Gods, he shook his head as if he was disappointed. When he passed by the Chief Libationist, he nodded as if complimenting him.

The Six Ghosts and Gods grew as silent as death and looked absolutely terrified when they saw the person. It was a good thing they couldn’t move, because they would have dropped to their knees otherwise.

The person did not linger. After passing by the Chief Libationist and the Six Ghosts and Gods, they passed through the barrier between the two worlds and arrived in the human world. He went over to Emperor Jing Run and stopped in front of him.

“You disappoint me.”

The person declared in a solemn, dignified voice. There was an indescribable cadence to his voice like it was the voice of the world itself. It was noble and grand, oppressive and impossible to ignore.

“You do not deserve to be the Son of Heaven of Fengdu.” As if his words were the law of heaven, the Luo Feng Crown on Emperor Jing Run’s head disappeared, and the Yin Heaven Robe he was wearing grew transparent.

“You do not deserve to wield Fengdu’s divine artifact either.”

With that declaration, the Son of Heaven Sword of Yellow Spring escaped Emperor Jing Run’s grip and flew into the person’s hand.

After Emperor Jing Run lost the Luo Feng Crown, the Yin Heaven Robe, and the Son of Heaven Sword of Yellow Spring, his aura abruptly plummeted like a collapsed dam. His figure also grew transparent like a bubble that was about to pop the next moment.

Emperor Jing Run looked shocked and terrified, but he could neither move nor speak.

The person ignored Emperor Jing Run and walked over to Ye Qing next.

“You, on the other hand, are excellent.” The person said appraisingly while watching Ye Qing, “You manage to ruin my conspiracy and force me to show myself. Yes, you are excellent.”

Although Ye Qing couldn’t move, his consciousness wasn’t impeded in the slightest. He had already figured out who this mysterious person was.

There was only one person who could terrify the Six Ghosts and Gods so and rob Emperor Jing Run of his Luo Feng Crown, Yin Heaven Robe, and Son of Heaven Sword of Yellow Spring in an instant. Unless he was gravely mistaken, this person could only be the ruler of the old Fengdu, the legendary King Taishan.

Thanks to Emperor Jing Run being a blabbermouth, he confirmed that King Taishan was the one behind this conspiracy. He also knew that his actions would offend King Taishan. However, he initially thought that an ancient one like King Taishan would find it beneath him to take out a small fry like him in person and send his underlings to do his dirty work instead. It would be like the emperor personally executing a commoner for his crimes; it just didn’t make sense.

But he was wrong. King Taishan had actually shown up in person. Although this was just a wisp of his spiritual intent and not his true self, it was undoubtedly him.

It was different from the spiritual intent who had made Emperor Jing Run the Yin Son of Heaven though. That spiritual intent had long lost its sapience after countless millennia. It had acted more out of instinct than any conscious thought.

On the other hand, this spiritual intent was clearly sapient and conscious. He was also far more powerful and scary. It would not be inaccurate to say that he was King Taishan, just in a different form.

Judging from King Taishan’s words, he originally did not intend to show himself. However, Ye Qing’s interference had disrupted his plans. That was why he had no choice but to appear.

Ye Qing had a lot to complain about that.

You are a motherfucking ancient boss, you piece of shit! How could you appear in person over a small matter like this? Where is your dignity; your shame?!

Seriously, he had so much to complain about. If only he could say them out loud.

“You possess the right to bear my Son of Heaven Sword of Yellow Spring. You are qualified to become the lord of Yellow Spring and master of Fengdu,” King Taishan declared.

Ye Qing was stunned for a moment.

The hell? Shouldn’t you speak with the Chief Libationist about this? He seems way more qualified than I am! I’m just a small fry, dude!

For most people, being scouted by a living ancient and becoming the Yin Son of Heaven of Fengdu was one hundred percent the opportunity of a lifetime; the fortune they might never obtain again in a million lifetimes. Unfortunately, Ye Qing was the sole exception to this rule.

After all, he was already drowning in fortunes and opportunities. Not only that, this particular fortune and opportunity was, frankly, beneath him. Why the hell would he want to be a ghost when he could be a human? Why would he want to become a so-called lord of Yellow Spring or Son of Heaven of Fengdu when he could be himself?

Most importantly, he did not want to become an inhuman Stranger whose heart was only filled by hate and resentment like Emperor Jing Run. Not even a little.

“Are you wondering why I chose you and not him?” King Taishan seemed to know what Ye Qing was thinking. “It’s because he bears too much karma and is tied to too many people. You, on the other hand, bear a much smaller amount of karma, but still possess a great amount of fate and fortune. You are perfect to aid me in rebuilding the old Fengdu and restoring the order of yin and yang; the cycle of death and rebirth.”

Ye Qing rolled his eyes, or he would have if he could. Translation: The Chief Libationist possessed a prestigious background, and you don’t. The Chief Libationist was difficult to bully, but you were not.

Bastard!

“Do you accept this offer?” King Taishan asked.

Nope. Not in the slightest. I don’t care that countless other people would accept this offer in my place, I definitely absolutely reject it no matter what!

Ye Qing kept shouting rejection after rejection inside his head, but unfortunately, he could neither speak nor shake his head. If he could, he would absolutely be screaming himself hoarse and shaking his head off his neck just to prove how much he detested the idea.

The next second, King Taishan said, “Since you’re not talking, I assume you accept.”

Ye Qing: “...”

Can we have some face around here? How is an ancient one so fucking shameless?

King Taishan did not care what Ye Qing was thinking, however. Smiling, he slowly reached out to tap Ye Qing in the forehead. “Since you’re not objecting, then I shall crown you as emperor and bestow you the Son of Heaven Sword of Yellow Spring today...”

Seeing that King Taishan’s finger was moving closer and closer, Ye Qing went all out. Sun and moon rose inside his pupils, and yin and yang turned his pupils black and white. Inside his body, Innate Yin Yang Qi cycled furiously as yin and yang bolstered one another, and activity and inactivity formed a harmonious circle. It was do or die.