The Ultimate Celestial Martial Emperor: An Isekai Cultivation Progression Fantasy Novel: The Ultimate Celestial Martial Emperor, #10

By De Yun Piao Dang

Jiang Yuan, an ordinary person from Earth, finds himself transported to another world, becoming a different Jiang Yuan in a realm filled with mystery and fantasy. In this world, individuals can cultivate their abilities to perform feats as miraculous as turning rivers and capturing the stars. However, Jiang Yuan's existence in this new world is far from stable. He inherits the identity and a series of troubles and challenges of his predecessor.

In the beginning, Jiang Yuan only wants to fully enjoy his new life, but fate doesn't afford him much respite. By a stroke of luck, he acquires a mysterious wooden carving, which seems to conceal the deep secrets of this world...

If I stand with humanity, then humanity shall flourish for hundreds of generations without end!

If I enter the path of demons, demonic flames will surge, and oceans of blood will flow!

As a sage, I shall help all beings, offering salvation to the world!

As an emperor, I shall be revered, with all directions submitting to me alone!

As an enlightened one, I shall follow in the footsteps of the sages before me, singing a war song of a prosperous yet melancholic era, shedding blood on the path to immortality!

 

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Seeing that Jiang Yuan hadn't lost his senses, Ji Ziqing nodded slightly, "I'm relieved you think this way. I was really worried you would recklessly expose us, which would have definitely spelled doom for us."

 Jiang Yuan exhaled deeply, feeling much more relaxed, and smiled, saying, "Don't worry, I still need to keep myself alive for the future."

• Language: English
• Publisher: He Qiao Qiao
• Release date: Apr 12, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224116409

Book preview

Chapter 361: Great Qin Royal City

Seeing that Jiang Yuan hadn’t lost his senses, Ji Ziqing nodded slightly, I’m relieved you think this way. I was really worried you would recklessly expose us, which would have definitely spelled doom for us.

Jiang Yuan exhaled deeply, feeling much more relaxed, and smiled, saying, Don’t worry, I still need to keep myself alive for the future.

The cave returned to tranquility as the two of them focused on regaining their strength.

Jiang Yuan and Ji Ziqing spent nearly half a month in this secluded cave, managing to restore their depleted vitality. This was mainly because they dared not recklessly absorb the natural energy from their surroundings; doing so would certainly cause a commotion.

The fluctuations of natural energy might reveal their hiding place. For those beings of great power, sensing the fluctuations in natural energy was an easy task.

After spending nearly half a month without causing any disturbances, Jiang Yuan and Ji Ziqing successfully regained their vitality. Their caution had helped them dodge a bullet.

The powerful being who had been searching for them had returned the way they came not long ago. If it hadn’t been for their carefulness, they might have been discovered.

Both of their appearances and auras had undergone significant changes. It was likely that even those who were very familiar with them would not recognize them now.

The black bird had once taught Jiang Yuan a Secret Technique for altering one’s form. Now, relying on this technique to change both their appearances and auras, they boldly left the mountain.

It was only after descending the mountain that Jiang Yuan and Ji Ziqing realized they were not in some barren wilderness.

In the distance, a magnificent city emerged on the horizon. It was an incomparably grand metropolis. At least, Jiang Yuan had never seen such a majestic city.

Ji Ziqing merely glanced at it and said, This should be a royal city.

Ji Ziqing was naturally knowledgeable. Since she said it was a royal city, it was most likely one.

Jiang Yuan was slightly taken aback when he heard Ji Ziqing’s words. A royal city? If that’s the case, doesn’t that mean this is the royal city of the Great Qin Dynasty?

Ji Ziqing also seemed to have realized it at this point. After a moment of contemplation, she said, If our calculations are correct, and we haven’t left the territory of the Great Qin Dynasty, then this royal city should be King Qin City.

Jiang Yuan’s eyes lit up as he looked at the distant royal city and chuckled, King Qin City, huh? That sounds like a good place to hide. If we were to hide there, unless we expose ourselves, not even those people with their incredible abilities would be able to find us.

A hint of a smile appeared on Ji Ziqing’s lips. A royal city was naturally bustling and prosperous, with over a hundred million cultivators and countless more ordinary citizens. It was a terrifying city with a population of over one billion.

If they were to hide in such a royal city, as Jiang Yuan suggested, not even a single Divine King, let alone several Divine Kings, would be able to find them in this sea of people.

Jiang Yuan’s jaw dropped in astonishment as he listened to Ji Ziqing’s explanation. What? You’re saying that there are at least a hundred million cultivators in King Qin City alone?

Ji Ziqing nodded and said, Of course. After all, this is the capital city of a dynasty. The Great Qin Dynasty is a powerful dynasty, so it’s not surprising that its capital would attract a large number of cultivators.

Jiang Yuan took a moment to digest the shocking information Ji Ziqing had revealed. It was no wonder he was so surprised. A city with a population of over one billion people was an unimaginable concept to him.

After traveling for hundreds of miles, they finally saw the majestic city gate in the distance.

The city walls of the royal city towered a hundred zhang high. Most astonishingly, a complete grand formation was clearly laid out on the city walls. Although it had not been activated, its imposing aura alone was enough to captivate the mind.

Jiang Yuan was also slightly stunned when he saw the royal city. Fortunately, with his strong mental cultivation, he quickly regained his composure.

Ji Ziqing explained to Jiang Yuan, Every royal city in the world is formidable. I believe this King Qin City also has a complete grand formation. If the grand formation on the city walls were to be activated, even three to five Divine Kings working together would find it difficult to break through it.

Jiang Yuan couldn’t help but exclaim, If a royal city is already so impregnable, wouldn’t an imperial city be virtually indestructible?

Ji Ziqing replied, Historically, there has only ever been one imperial city. Only when a Great Emperor emerges will an imperial city appear. An imperial city is guarded by a Great Emperor. In all the heavens and myriad realms, who could possibly conquer a city defended by a Great Emperor?

Jiang Yuan nodded slightly. Looking at the magnificent royal city before him, according to Ji Ziqing, royal cities could be considered the strongest cities in the world, since the existence of an imperial city depended on a Great Emperor.

Without the appearance of a Great Emperor, there would naturally be no imperial city in the world.

Jiang Yuan said, Let’s enter the city. We’ll see for ourselves what this Great Qin Royal City is all about.

Ji Ziqing and Jiang Yuan entered the Great Qin Royal City without encountering any obstacles. The Divine Being guards stationed at the city gate didn’t even bother to check their identities. It was as if they were just symbolic guardians, while the people entering and leaving the city came and went as they pleased.

Jiang Yuan was somewhat surprised. He found it hard to believe that they had managed to enter the Great Qin Royal City so easily.

Seeing the expression on Jiang Yuan’s face, Ji Ziqing knew what he was thinking and said with a smile, This is a royal city. Entry and exit are not restricted. Otherwise, verifying the identities of the people coming and going would be an impossible task for anyone.

Hearing Ji Ziqing say this, and seeing the many cultivators passing by, Jiang Yuan couldn’t help but sigh. Just as Ji Ziqing had said, there were countless cultivators in the world, coming from all directions. Even a Great Emperor wouldn’t have the means to clarify the origins of all these cultivators.

Given this, instead of checking the identities of these cultivators, it might as well be left unattended. After all, even if one were to check, no one would have the capability to ensure a thorough investigation.

Originally, Jiang Yuan had prepared a story, but he was surprised to find that they had entered the city so easily. He said to Ji Ziqing, Let’s find a place to settle down first.

Beforehand, Jiang Yuan and Ji Ziqing were unaware that this grand city was the Great Qin Royal City. However, after finding out, Jiang Yuan began to entertain some thoughts.

His initial plan was to rely on the Light Holy Temple to rescue his parents, and things were going smoothly. He had become a disciple of the Emperor’s Teacher and even became a lord in the Imperial Palace. He believed that it wouldn’t take many years for his cultivation to improve significantly and his influence to grow. By that time, rescuing his parents would naturally not be too difficult.

Unfortunately, a great calamity had completely ruined Jiang Yuan’s previous efforts, rendering his plans utterly futile.

Because he had joined the Light Holy Temple, Jiang Yuan was now even more aware of how terrifying the foundations of the Sun and Moon Divine Court were.

Without leveraging some form of power, Jiang Yuan couldn’t think of any way to rescue his parents. With his current cultivation level, confronting the Sun and Moon Divine Court would be like throwing an egg against a rock.

However, now that they had entered the Great Qin Royal City, Jiang Yuan began to wonder if he could leverage the power of the Great Qin Dynasty.

Of course, Jiang Yuan had never considered a direct confrontation between the Great Qin Dynasty and the Sun and Moon Divine Court. Moreover, the Great Qin Dynasty would not likely engage in a head-on conflict with the Sun and Moon Divine Court.

Back when the Sun and Moon Divine Court colluded with the Barbarian Tribe, the Great Qin Dynasty didn’t take any action against the Sun and Moon Divine Court. This showed Jiang Yuan how powerful the Sun and Moon Divine Court was, prompting him to join the Light Holy Temple.

Now that the Light Holy Temple was destroyed, he was back to square one. Jiang Yuan once again set his sights on the Great Qin Dynasty.

Seeing Jiang Yuan lost in thought, Ji Ziqing asked, Jiang Yuan, what are you thinking about?

Jiang Yuan smiled slightly, came back to his senses, and said to Ji Ziqing in a low voice, Let’s find a place to settle down first, and then I’ll tell you.

With plenty of Spirit Crystals, they quickly bought a courtyard in the royal city. The courtyard was in a secluded location, neither too big nor too small, but it still cost Jiang Yuan nearly 100,000 Spirit Crystals.

Such an unremarkable courtyard cost so many Spirit Crystals, showing Jiang Yuan the extravagance of the Great Qin Royal City. Just such a place was worth so many Spirit Crystals, let alone the more prosperous areas.

However, Jiang Yuan didn’t care too much about this. Now, Jiang Yuan and Ji Ziqing were in their newly purchased residence.

In the courtyard, Jiang Yuan and Ji Ziqing sat in a room. Jiang Yuan poured tea for Ji Ziqing, who looked at Jiang Yuan and said, Jiang Yuan, do you have a plan?

Ji Ziqing could tell that Jiang Yuan must have a plan, otherwise he wouldn’t have spent so many Spirit Crystals to buy a courtyard in the Great Qin Royal City.

Jiang Yuan’s expression turned serious as he said to Ji Ziqing, As you know, my original intention in joining the Light Holy Temple was to use its power to save someone. Unfortunately, destiny was not on my side, and the Light Holy Temple was destroyed, leaving my plan in ruins. However, I cannot give up on saving that person.

Ji Ziqing was quick-witted and immediately understood Jiang Yuan’s intentions. He said, So you plan to settle down in the Great Qin Royal City and use the power of the Great Qin Dynasty to save that person?

Chapter 362: Great Wilderness Scripture

Jiang Yuan chuckled and said, As the saying goes, two tigers cannot share the same mountain, unless one is male and the other female. The Sun and Moon Divine Court and the Light Holy Temple were at odds with each other in the past, and there were constant conflicts between the two major forces. Therefore, the Great Qin Dynasty maintained an indifferent attitude towards these two major forces within its sphere of influence. However, the situation is very different now. Originally, the two major forces kept each other in check, and the Great Qin Dynasty sat back and watched the tigers fight, maintaining a perfect balance. But now that balance has been broken, and the relationship between the Great Qin Dynasty and the Sun and Moon Divine Court may change.

A gleam flashed in Ji Ziqing’s eyes, and a hint of a smile appeared on his lips as he said, That’s right. Perhaps the news of the Light Holy Temple’s destruction has already spread, and the Great Qin Dynasty’s leaders are probably discussing how to deal with the Sun and Moon Divine Court in the future.

Just as Ji Ziqing had predicted, deep within the Great Qin Royal City, in a grand hall within the majestic royal palace, a dozen or so powerful experts with strong auras were gathered.

The leader, a mighty figure clad in black, sat silently, his entire body seemingly hidden in the shadows. However, no one dared to ignore this, the true pillar of the Great Qin Dynasty.

Qin Wudi, the Great Qin Dynasty’s secret backer, a Divine King-level expert.

Only dynasties with Divine King-level experts could be recognized by all sides and enter the ranks of dynasties. Without a Divine King, they would not be qualified to be called divine dynasties.

Qin Wudi was the ancestor of the Great Qin Dynasty’s royal family. For over a thousand years, he had been like a towering pillar supporting the Great Qin Dynasty.

Qin Wudi was known as the Great Qin Divine King, the true overlord of the Great Qin Royal City. The dozen or so powerful experts below him were from various great families of the Great Qin Dynasty.

These people might rarely appear in public, but if one were to look through the history of the Great Qin Dynasty, one would definitely find their illustrious names.

Together with the Qin Clan, more than ten royal and aristocratic families supported the Great Qin Dynasty. Although the Qin Clan was ostensibly the royal family of the Great Qin Dynasty, the influence of these ten or so royal and aristocratic families was only slightly less than that of the Qin Clan. If 80% of the royal and aristocratic families present were to unite and overthrow the Qin Clan, then the Great Qin Dynasty would likely see a change of ownership.

The true heads of the Meng Family, Wu Family, Bai Family, and more than ten other families were gathered in this palace hall.

The Meng Family expert was clad in armor, exuding a strong military aura. He was a Divine Envoy at the peak of the Divine Envoy realm. In the past, he had been the commander of the Great Qin Dynasty’s million-strong army. It could be said that killing was his forte, and countless forces had been destroyed by him.

As one of the strongest people below the Divine King realm, Meng Qing’s eyes glinted as he said, According to the news we’ve received, not long ago, the Light Holy Temple was destroyed. From the Divine Tutor to the Brightness Divine King, almost everyone from top to bottom was wiped out. Less than a thousand disciples managed to escape.

The Bai Family expert, like Meng Qing, also came from a military background. He was similarly full of murderous aura and sneered, I wonder what force the Light Holy Temple offended to be destroyed overnight. Even experts like the Divine Tutor and Brightness Divine King couldn’t save the day.

On the other hand, the Wu Family expert exuded an aura of elegance. He held a feather fan in his hand and gently fanned himself. His beard hung down long, making him look like a sage. He seemed harmless, but if anyone dared to underestimate Wu Zhi, they would probably die without knowing how.

Wu Zhi shook the feather fan in his hand and glanced at Qin Wudi, who was sitting there without speaking. He cleared his throat and said, Everyone, we’re not here to laugh at the Light Holy Temple’s misfortune. You must know that the Great Qin Dynasty has always had a very ordinary relationship with the Sun and Moon Divine Court and the Light Holy Temple. We’ve kept to ourselves and not interfered with each other. Because of the grudges between the Light Holy Temple and the Sun and Moon Divine Court, we didn’t have to worry. We just needed to sit back and watch the tigers fight. It’s a pity that fate is unkind, and the Light Holy Temple was destroyed for no reason. Now that the Sun and Moon Divine Court has suddenly lost the suppression of the Light Holy Temple, I’m afraid there will be great changes.

The more than ten people present were all extremely intelligent. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have cultivated earth-shattering cultivation bases.

Meng Qing suddenly slapped the table beside him and said, The Great Qin Dynasty doesn’t have to fear the Sun and Moon Divine Court. As long as I’m not afraid, the Great Qin Dynasty will mobilize millions of troops and flatten their divine mountain. Let’s see if they dare to challenge the Great Qin Dynasty!

Wu Zhi shook his head slightly and sighed, That’s what you say, but if it were in the past, unless the Sun and Moon Divine Court was out of its mind, it definitely wouldn’t have fallen out with our dynasty. But now, things are very different. Without the suppression of the Light Holy Temple, the Sun and Moon Divine Court can be said to be the only major force in the Great Qin Dynasty’s territory. Even if we deliberately try to avoid conflict with the Sun and Moon Divine Court, I’m afraid it will be impossible.

A burly man looked up at Wu Zhi and said, Old Ghost Wu, among us, you are the most cunning. Tell us, how should we deal with the Sun and Moon Divine Court? Should we immediately muster a large army and go to war with them?

Wu Zhi shook his head slightly and said, If we were to go to war with the Sun and Moon Divine Court at this time, it would naturally be the best opportunity. However, there’s also a concern.

Meng Qing added, You’re worried about the connection between the force that destroyed the Light Holy Temple and the Sun and Moon Divine Court.

Wu Zhi nodded and said, Exactly. To say that the Sun and Moon Divine Court had no hand in the destruction of the Light Holy Temple, I believe not many people would buy that. So, if we choose to make a move against the Sun and Moon Divine Court at this time, it might not be the right moment.

Meng Qing glanced at Wu Zhi, then turned respectfully towards Qin Wudi, who was sitting there, and said, Divine King, your opinion on how the Great Qin Dynasty should deal with the Sun and Moon Divine Court is crucial. We need to have a unified approach.

With Meng Qing’s words, the gazes of the dozen or so people present simultaneously fell on Qin Wudi. Everyone’s interests were aligned, and Qin Wudi, representing the Qin royal family, was seen as the leader of their interest group. At this moment, everyone wanted to hear Qin Wudi’s opinion.

After all, regardless of anything else, Qin Wudi was the most powerful among them. The stronger the power, the greater the influence of one’s words.

Qin Wudi slowly opened his eyes. Everyone saw his eyes, deep as the ocean, showcasing Qin Wudi’s formidable strength.

Qin Wudi said, Prepare the troops and observe the changes. Since we can’t ascertain whether the Sun and Moon Divine Court has any allies, we will wait and see how the Sun and Moon Divine Court behaves before we respond.

With that, Qin Wudi’s gaze swept over the people present and asked, What do you all think?

A gleam flashed in Wu Zhi’s eyes, and he asked tentatively, Divine King, with your extensive network, did you not receive any prior news that someone intended to destroy the Light Holy Temple?

Qin Wudi glanced at Wu Zhi faintly. Wu Zhi felt as if Qin Wudi’s gaze had seen through his thoughts. He quickly avoided Qin Wudi’s eyes. Qin Wudi’s voice rang out beside his ears, Compared to the Divine Tutor’s extensive network, I am inferior. Since even the Divine Tutor did not have the slightest inkling beforehand, it shows how cautious the other party was. Until now, there has been no news about which force destroyed the Light Holy Temple.

Wu Zhi said in a low voice, What a pity. The great Light Holy Temple collapsed just like that. We don’t even know who destroyed it.

Meng Qing said, Even if we knew, what could we do? The fact that the other party was able to destroy the Light Holy Temple proves that they are incredibly powerful. Even if the Great Qin Dynasty were to use all its resources, we could only be on par with the Light Holy Temple.

Qin Wudi interrupted Wu Zhi and Meng Qing’s conversation. After everyone leaves, restrain your subordinates and avoid conflicts with the Sun and Moon Divine Court. Let’s observe the Sun and Moon Divine Court’s reaction first.

Everyone nodded. As far as they knew Qin Wudi, he was not the kind of person who could be taken advantage of. If the Sun and Moon Divine Court were truly to go against the Great Qin Dynasty, then the relationship between the two sides would drastically deteriorate in the future.

As the palace doors slowly closed, more than ten figures left quietly. The grand royal city remained as prosperous as ever, but few knew that not long ago, more than ten powerful figures who truly controlled the fate of the Great Qin Dynasty had already set the stage for the future.

Over a month passed in the blink of an eye. During this period, news of the Light Holy Temple’s sudden destruction had spread. In the Great Qin Royal City, where cultivators from all sides gathered, rumors were rampant. Many speculated that the Light Holy Temple had been destroyed by a force allied with the Sun and Moon Divine Court.

Unfortunately, the Sun and Moon Divine Court denied this possibility at all costs. Aside from the Sun and Moon Divine Court, no one could figure out which force had destroyed the Light Holy Temple, turning it into a mystery that astonished countless cultivators.

For a time, the news of the Light Holy Temple’s destruction spread throughout the royal city, becoming the current focus of everyone’s discussion.

Jiang Yuan and Ji Ziqing sat in a teahouse, listening to the discussions of the cultivators around them and sighing inwardly.

They had not had much hope to begin with, but they had still held out a glimmer of hope that they might be able to find some news about the destruction of the Light Holy Temple. However, even they, who had personally experienced the destruction of the Light Holy Temple, had no clues, let alone these cultivators who were spreading rumors.

Ji Ziqing gently patted Jiang Yuan’s hand, as if to comfort him.

Jiang Yuan turned his hand and held Ji Ziqing’s slender hand. Ji Ziqing trembled slightly, and a blush appeared on her pretty face, but she did not pull her hand away.

At that moment, a voice reached Jiang Yuan’s ears.

A cultivator said mysteriously, My fellow cultivators, did you know that last night, the Great Wilderness Mountain emitted a brilliant light, illuminating tens of thousands of miles around? It is said that the ruins of a Divine King have appeared.

The Great Wilderness Mountain? Could it be that the seal of the legendary Great Wilderness Divine King’s Cave Heaven Secret Space could not withstand the erosion of time and has finally shown signs of breaking, and is about to appear?

A cultivator said excitedly upon hearing this.

Everyone’s faces lit up with surprise. If it was truly the Great Wilderness Divine King’s Cave Heaven Secret Space that was about to appear, it would be a grand event.

Jiang Yuan looked at Ji Ziqing with some doubt. Wasn’t it just a Divine King? Even if there were some treasures in his Cave Heaven Secret Space, the cultivators shouldn’t be reacting so strongly.

Ji Ziqing offered a gentle smile and explained softly to Jiang Yuan, The Great Wilderness Divine King was an invincible Divine King. Back in the day, he even contended with emperors for the mandate of heaven. His strength was incomparable, far beyond that of ordinary Divine Kings. Most importantly, it’s said that during his rise, he obliterated countless formidable forces and, after achieving the status of an invincible Divine King, he even destroyed a holy land, plundering its ancient heritage. The wealth he accumulated was so vast that even emperors would take notice.

Jiang Yuan’s eyes lit up as he listened, never having expected that this was a Cave Heaven Secret Space left by an invincible Divine King. If what Ji Ziqing said was true, then this Cave Heaven Secret Space might very well be a treasure trove coveted even by powers like the Great Qin Dynasty and the Sun and Moon Divine Court.

Ji Ziqing continued, Leaving aside those treasures, it’s rumored that before the Great Wilderness Divine King passed away, he forged a scroll of the ‘Great Wilderness Scripture’ from his life’s cultivation. Its value is immeasurable, only slightly inferior to the imperial scriptures. Whoever obtains this ‘Great Wilderness Scripture’ might very well receive the Great Wilderness Divine King’s legacy. As long as they are not exceedingly incompetent, with the ‘Great Wilderness Scripture’, achieving the status of a Divine King should be within reach.

Jiang Yuan couldn’t help but chuckle, We practice the ‘Undying Heavenly Skill’, a secret technique of astonishing origins, and yet we don’t dare claim it could make us Divine Kings. The ‘Great Wilderness Scripture’ might be extraordinary, but to say it could definitely create a Divine King seems a bit of an overstatement.

Ji Ziqing gave Jiang Yuan a look, "These are all just rumors, but regardless, the Cave Heaven Secret Space