Chapter 449: Decreed to Guard the North, Great Emperor Zhenwu’s Inheritance! Those Ones to Face the Tribulation! The Terrifying Old Monk!

Great Emperor Zhenwu, by imperial decree, guarded the northern direction and presided over the Xuanwu position[1]. For such an immortal to reveal his divine presence, the words “earth-shattering” were not an exaggeration.

Xiao Ran and Zhang Wei both wore expressions of deep respect.

They were both disciples of the Daoist lineage, so toward such a mighty celestial of the Celestial Court, a Daoist god of the highest order, their reverence was absolute.

“How many years has it been... Someone has finally come here again. I have waited far too long.” A divine phantom manifested upon the statue of Great Emperor Zhenwu, slowly stepping down from it. A heavy divine aura spread outward, as oppressive as Mount Tai crashing down.

Xiao Ran and Zhang Wei couldn’t help collapsing to their knees, while Li Yanchu remained standing in place calmly.

“Boy, why do you not kneel when seeing this Emperor?” Great Emperor Zhenwu’s voice was majestic and vast, enough to shake one’s soul.

Anyone harboring ill intent would not dare meet his gaze, and their spirit would shatter on the spot.

“Is there a rule that one must bow when meeting a god?” Li Yanchu said.

Zhang Wei’s mouth twitched.

Holy crap!

As expected of Senior Cao Cao, he’s as tough as pure steel!

Great Emperor Zhenwu was stunned for a moment, then laughed instead.

“Hah! For a mortal cultivator to produce someone as interesting as you... Very well, if you will not bow, then so be it.” He did not pursue the matter further.

“You two may rise as well,” he addressed the kneeling Xiao Ran and Zhang Wei.

The two hurriedly stood up.

“Heaven and earth face a great catastrophe. Not only the mortal realm, even the Celestial Court is within the tribulation. I left a strand of my divine will here for the sake of passing on an inheritance.

“Since the three of you have managed to arrive, you are all people destined to face the tribulation. Among the three disciples of one sect, I shall choose one person to bestow the supreme immortal art.” Great Emperor Zhenwu’s voice boomed like thunder, making the entire palace tremble.

Xiao Ran and Zhang Wei’s eyes lit up at once, and their breaths turned ragged!

They had originally thought that receiving the Land Immortal, Daoist Spiritual Master Xie’s inheritance would already be an immense fortune. Never had they imagined that the Mount Taoyuan Blissful Land harbored the divine will of Great Emperor Zhenwu himself!?

“There’s actually something this lucky in the world!?” Zhang Wei swallowed hard, breathing rapidly.

Great Emperor Zhenwu glanced at the three of them, then pointed directly at Li Yanchu. “You, then. This Emperor finds you the most pleasing to the eye!”

Zhang Wei fell speechless. This was a matter concerning the tribulation of heaven and earth, the fate of the mortal world. How could “pleasing to the eye” be the criterion for choosing an inheritor!?

Xiao Ran, however, stared at Li Yanchu’s sharply defined, masculine profile, her heartbeat pounding wildly.

Daoist Li truly is a phoenix and dragon among men

[2]

. Not only is he handsome, his fortune is profound. He must be someone favored by great destiny. I really like him!

Her hidden looks-obsessed tendencies were completely awakened after meeting Li Yanchu.

But to their astonishment, Li Yanchu refused.

“You dare impersonate Great Emperor Zhenwu, guardian of the North? What exactly are you?” His voice was cold.

Great Emperor Zhenwu widened his eyes in fury, shouting, “Presumptuous! How dare a mere mortal spout such nonsense!?”

Li Yanchu said, “I’m very familiar with divine power. Yours is nothing but an empty shell.”

Murderous intent burst from Great Emperor Zhenwu’s eyes, a terrifying pressure erupting from his form. “Impudent! A mortal dares to slander an immortal!?”

The entire Daoist temple hall trembled violently, sending Xiao Ran and Zhang Wei into a panic.

“Immortal?” Li Yanchu let out a cold laugh as his thumb pushed against the blade of the Jiaoslayer.

Clang!

A crisp dragon’s cry resounded. A blazing, domineering arc of saber qi appeared and struck straight toward Great Emperor Zhenwu.

Meanwhile, the Emperor raised a green-edged divine sword, pointing it forward.

Crack!

The sword shattered, and a wound opened across the Emperor’s chest, though no blood spilled; instead, golden light flickered from within.

He looked down in disbelief. He actually failed to block it!?

He thrust out a palm, and the surrounding spiritual energy surged violently, compressing toward Li Yanchu as thunderous sonic booms echoed endlessly.

“Let me see what you really are!” Li Yanchu’s eyes were icy cold, his voice like erupting thunder.

Gripping the Jiaoslayer enhanced nine times, Li Yanchu charged forward with overwhelming momentum. With a single step, pure yang qi erupted across his skin, and the Daoist talisman armor amplified his vitality to a terrifying level. True yang fire burned like a furnace; his blood and qi surged like an ocean.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Explosions thundered again and again. Li Yanchu’s saber tore through layer after layer of defenses, and with one decisive strike, he split apart the head of the so-called Great Emperor Zhenwu’s divine will!

Xiao Ran and Zhang Wei stared with bulging eyes, utterly stupefied. Even if that Great Emperor Zhenwu was suspicious... wasn’t Daoist Master being Li

way

too fierce!? After all, that divine pressure earlier was absolutely real!

The beheaded divine will did not dissipate; instead, it stared at Li Yanchu with venomous hatred with its voice hoarse and low, completely unlike the majestic tone from before.

“Damn you... Why won’t you believe me? Just because my divine power feels wrong!?”

Li Yanchu replied calmly, “I already felt something was off about this palace. The entire Blissful Land fell to demonic invasion, and its lineage was cut off. So why is there still a place where even the barriers remain perfectly intact?

“At first, I thought perhaps a Land Immortal intervened, using great magic to relocate the mountain... but this Daoist temple hall is

too

normal. Not to mention all these precious treasures everywhere, it’s enough to make anyone covetous.

“When something appears too normal, that is often what’s abnormal, especially when this place suddenly manifested, and there was an immortal artifact, the Apricot-Yellow Banner, suppressing it.”

“So what was it suppressing? And why did this place suddenly appear? It wasn’t until I saw you that I understood that the mountain’s barriers weren’t meant to keep people

out

, but to keep the demon

in

. And the Apricot-Yellow Banner was suppressing

you

, foul spirit!”

Silence fell over the divine will, and Zhang Wei looked utterly shocked.

As expected of Senior Cao Cao, while everyone else was busy treasure-hunting, he noticed so much!

Great Emperor Zhenwu’s condensed divine will finally muttered, “Young people today... each one trickier than the last. They’re so hard to deal with.”

The Daoist temple hall, formerly filled with heavenly treasures, celestial music, and auspicious clouds, now revealed its true face. It was now ruined, ancient, and desolate, exactly the impression Li Yanchu had sensed from the beginning.

On the floors and walls, countless Daoist talismans drawn in cinnabar formed sealing formations, dense and overlapping.

Gasp!

Xiao Ran and Zhang Wei both sucked in a sharp breath.

This was no celestial abode, It was a forbidden prison, a place used to seal away terrifying demonic beings! And those precious treasures had now revealed their true forms as well.

What lay before them were severed human heads with their eyes tightly shut and faces pale as death, as if they had been forcibly

planted

into the ground. The false divine form of Great Emperor Zhenwu vanished, and in its place stood an old monk with two heads.

One head was centered normally on his neck, looking kind and serene, like a reclusive sage. The other looked as if it had been brutally attached later; its hair was disheveled, face ashen, eyes tightly closed. Judging by the delicate features, it had once belonged to a beautiful young woman.

1. The Xuanwu position refers to the northern direction in traditional Chinese culture and is one of the Four Divine Beasts (Sì Xiàng), symbolizing the north and the winter season. Its image combines a turtle and a snake. In feng shui, the term “Rear Xuanwu” refers to the back of a house or residence, typically symbolizing protection and stability, corresponding to the northern direction. ☜

2. The Chinese phrase 人中龙凤 (rén zhōng lóng fèng) is used to describe someone who is exceptionally talented or outstanding among ordinary people. Literally, it means “a dragon and phoenix among people,” with 龙 (dragon) symbolizing power, strength, and excellence, and 凤 (phoenix) representing grace, virtue, and rare beauty. The term conveys the idea that the person stands out like a mythical creature in a crowd, whether through talent, character, or achievement. In traditional Chinese culture, dragons and phoenixes are the highest symbols of nobility and auspiciousness, so calling someone 人中龙凤 is considered a profound compliment, praising their extraordinary abilities or virtues. ☜