Chapter 873 - Emperor’s Manual

The Long-Bearded Guest was still experimenting with the treasure chest. Outside of the Prismatic Door, Bai Lan was already standing up to guard Ancestor Jin. But because no one had exited from the door yet, they slowly became impatient.

“This is ...”

When the light faded from his eyes, Long Chen found himself in an expansive field of grass. The sky was blue and the sun was bright. There were shepherds guiding their sheep in the distance and horses ran freely on the horizon.

“Child.”

Long Chen looked towards where the voice came from and saw four different balls of light. The four lights turned into four elders wearing the colors gold, azure, black, and yellow.

To think that they would each hold their respective colors even now.

“Seniors... Are you the Five Emperors from tens of thousands of years ago? I am your junior, Long Chen. Greetings!”

Long Chen respected them, so he had no qualms about being respectful.

But weren't there supposed to be five of them? Where was the last one?

As if sensing his confusion, the Golden Emperor explained, “Our fourth brother was the one who sent the Prismatic Key to you. He has long left us in order to send the key out of here. I suppose his Divine Martial Soul’s power has long been exhausted.”

Those at the Divine Martial Realm had fused their Martial Soul and their Divine Soul into one. Due to the additional support, a Divine Martial Soul could live for a very long time. If the cultivator’s body was wounded, they could eventually recover as long as their Divine Martial Soul was still intact.

To think that the person inside the Divine Fire Realm was none other than the Scarlet Emperor!

“Does that mean you knew that I would come here from the very beginning?”

Long Chen had never thought that the Prismatic Key would quite literally be the key to obtaining the treasure. They had chosen to give Long Chen the Prismatic Key because they wanted him to take their inheritance.

The Black Emperor replied, “You are correct. The moment you stepped into the Divine Martial Empire, our fourth brother detected the presence of a Dragon Warrior. That was why he gave the key to you, so that you could find your way here one day. We’ve been alive for a very long time, and our Divine Martial Souls are on the brink of disappearing even though we don’t move or speak. Thankfully, you’ve arrived at our final moments.”

“I see. So everything was decided from the very beginning.”

Long Chen was secretly happy because that meant that they had chosen to give him their inheritance because they had seen his potential.

To think that they knew about Dragon Warriors.

The Yellow Emperor responded, “We’ve waited here for years, but no one has met our expectations to inherit our legacy. Back then, members of the demon race were eyeing our treasure. Our fourth brother had no choice but to go to the Ten Thousand Nations Territory to find someone suitable to receive the Prismatic Key. Of course, being able to get here proves that you are indeed special.

“Our fourth brother hasn't returned even though it has been so long. It seems that his power has indeed been depleted. We will all leave in peace once we finish passing everything to you.

“Dragon Warriors... They are the most talented cultivators in the world. They inherited the blood of the dragons. Even the weakest dragons, the red or green dragons, were incredibly strong compared to humans. Even the weakest among them were somewhere in the Divine Martial Realm.

“You have the blood of a dragon, but we have no idea what kind of dragon it is. But at the very least, it must be a high-ranking species. You were born in the Ten Thousand Nations Territory, so you are one of our people. More importantly, your heart is pure and yet you do not hesitate to kill. This is the disposition of an emperor. Long Chen, you are the only candidate worthy of inheriting our legacy after tens of thousands of years of searching!”

The Golden Emperor was excited when he said all of that.

It seemed they knew a lot of things about Long Chen.

Does that mean they want to turn me into a leader of the Ten Thousand Nations Territory and protect it?

Long Chen was worried about that part.

He needed to go to the Three Royal Territories, so he couldn’t just stay here and protect the Ten Thousand Nations Territory if he inherited their treasure.

Long Chen revealed a bitter smile. “Seniors... Does that mean that I have to stay here to protect the Ten Thousand Nations Territory if I accept your inheritance? I need to go to the Three Royal Territories...”

“Don’t worry.” The Golden Emperor smiled.

“Your potential far exceeds ours, which means you will be far stronger than us. Your potential would be wasted if you stayed here. You must go to the Three Royal Territories.”

“Aren’t you afraid that I won’t return?”

“The blood flowing in your veins is the blood of the Ten Thousand Nations Territory. You can leave this place since it's very peaceful right now. But we hope that you will return and protect this place when it experiences a disaster that cannot be prevented.”

Indeed. This place was Long Chen’s home; all of his friends and families were here. So he had to protect it.

Long Chen was glad and touched by the gesture of the Five Emperors. Even though they had passed on, they had left behind their Divine Martial Souls to guard their home. They were also very lenient towards Long Chen.

Long Chen said, “I swear that I will become stronger and come back the moment our home is in danger. I will protect this place!”

“Good. Good!”

The four of them looked pleased as they stroked their beards. Their smiles revealed their satisfaction, and Long Chen was happy that they had accepted him.

“We’ve watched over you for quite some time. You are a good child, though sometimes you are bloodthirsty. But then again, always being kind is not the way a good emperor should act. Being able to kill someone without hesitation is the mark of a true ruler. You have what it takes to inherit our treasure.

“We don’t have much time left. The demon race members are still waiting for everyone outside. We will leave everything here to you.”

The Golden Emperor smiled and looked at the other Emperors for their approval.

“The demon race... Are they already outside?” Long Chen knew that they would appear, but he wasn’t worried because the Five Emperors weren’t worried.

The Five Emperors were passing him their treasure.

The elegant Azure Emperor said, “All five of us became famous and strong because of a certain man. He was the oldest of us, roughly a thousand years older. His legacy has most likely disappeared into nothing. He was our master, and also the greatest being in the history of the Ten Thousand Nations Territory. We call him the Emperor of Man.

“Master passed on long ago. All five of us were stuck at the First Divine Martial Stage, while Master was the only person who reached the Second Divine Martial Stage in the Ten Thousand Nations Territory. The stronger a cultivator is, the longer it takes to progress. All five of us were stuck at the First Divine Martial Stage until the very end of our lives. Master, on the other hand, was stuck at the Second Divine Martial Stage and never once stepped foot into the Third Divine Martial Stage even in his final moments. He died of old age.

“We were all raised on the shoulders of a giant. Master was a truly strong cultivator. He was the one who gave us martial techniques befitting of cultivators at the Divine Martial Realm when we reached it. Divine-tier martial techniques are treasures, and we only have one here in the Ten Thousand Nations Territory. The five of us used this technique in the past, and now we give it to you.”

The Golden Emperor waved his arm, and an ancient parchment appeared in front of Long Chen.

The parchment was old. It looked like it would disintegrate at the slightest touch.

“A Divine-tier martial technique?”

Long Chen was excited when he saw the parchment. Even though it looked normal, he was frightened by the aura hidden inside of it. It was as if the parchment stood at the pinnacle of life and looked down on others.

The Emperor of Man must’ve been exceedingly strong if this parchment is anything to go by. He stood at the peak of the Ten Thousand Nations Territory. He’s the real trailblazer ...

Long Chen was excited when he thought of that.

To think that the vast land of the Ten Thousand Nations Territory had only produced a single person who reached the Second Divine Martial Stage. It could’ve been said that he was practically unbeatable.

Only someone like him was befitting of owning such a technique.

“The name of this Divine-tier martial technique is the Emperor’s Manual! From today onwards, it belongs to you. You can use it or pass it down. Long Chen, catch!”

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

The Golden Emperor waved his arm, and the Emperor’s Manual flew towards Long Chen.

Long Chen grabbed it gingerly with his heart racing. This was the only Divine-tier martial technique in the Ten Thousand Nations Territory. The Emperor of Man and the Five Emperors had used it to kill numerous others, so there was no chance it was a simple technique.

The difference between a Divine-tier martial technique and an Emperor-tier martial technique was massive.

Even in the Three Royal Territories, very few people had Divine-tier martial techniques. Long Chen already had one despite only being at the Second Heavenly Martial Stage.

“Thank you, Seniors! I will work hard and cultivate it as soon as I can!”

The Yellow Emperor chuckled. “Don’t be rash. Divine-tier martial techniques use up a lot of essence, so you can’t use it yet. I suppose you can use a small part of it when you reach the Fifth Heavenly Martial Stage.”

The four of them were very kind and pleasant to talk to. They didn't rush their words, as if they had lived through a lot of things. This made Long Chen feel like he was their grandchild.

Just then, the Golden Emperor interrupted, “Now that you’ve obtained the Emperor’s Manual, you’ve accepted the inheritance of our master. From today onwards, you are his disciple, and also our junior. We all shoulder the responsibility of protecting our home. Do you agree?”