Martial Cultivator

Chapter 538: There Are Two Large Mountains in the Snow

Do demons have two hearts?

It should not be the case, at least not normally.

Ordinary demons, like humans, could only have one heart.

But not all humans had only one heart, and not all demons had just one heart.

Autumn was a natural variant species, born with two hearts, one on the left and one on the right.

This was a secret of the Demon Emperor's lineage that no one else knew. Other than the Demon Emperor, only Autumn knew. Now, it also included Chen Chao.

Chen Chao sighed heavily. "Alright, you win. Who would have thought that after using every possible method, I still can't kill you?"

Chen Chao spat out a mouthful of blood and then said self-deprecatingly, "Well, now it's your turn to kill me."

Failing to kill someone would only mean being killed in return.

Autumn did not take any action, she just looked at Chen Chao. After thinking for a long time, she shook her head and said softly, "Next time."

Chen Chao was puzzled but soon laughed and said, "What's wrong? Are you still afraid I have some life-saving methods I haven't used?"

Autumn ignored him and just looked into the distance, saying softly, "In at most fifteen minutes, at least one great demon will arrive here. If you don't want to die, you should run quickly."

Chen Chao frowned, somewhat puzzled as he asked, "Why are you suddenly so kind?"

"I just want you to die at my hands. But this is Royal Father's arrangement. Even I can't stop it. You'd better be prepared."

After saying this, Autumn fell silent, silently turning and walking away through the snowstorm, leaving behind a long trail of blood.

Chen Chao looked at Autumn's retreating figure in silence for a long time. In the end, he did not pursue this demon princess again. As Autumn said, he still had some methods left, but he also believed that Autumn had her own methods. After all, she had not even revealed her true form yet, which indicated that she had not used all her strength.

It was well known that demons would only enter a state where they truly risked their lives after revealing their true form. But Autumn had fought him in human form all this time, which left Chen Chao both relieved and somewhat frustrated.

In the end, it seemed he was still no match for this demon princess.

Even though he had nearly killed her just moments ago.

Chen Chao spat out a mouthful of blood, no longer lingering, and turned to leave the area.

The possibility of a great demon arriving in fifteen minutes was something Chen Chao would rather believe than dismiss. Moreover, while Autumn was intent on killing him, she was still quite straightforward in some respects.

Chen Chao gritted his teeth and headed deeper into the desolate north.

It was not that he wanted to put on a brave front, but he felt that if he headed towards Coldgate Pass now, wanting to leave the desolate northern plains, he would probably end up dying on the snowfields of the desolate north.

For some reason, this thought grew increasingly stronger.

……

……

Autumn traveled northward, but after only a short distance, she encountered the tall figure in the snowstorm.

The Demon Emperor stood in the wind and snow, looking at his daughter.

A crystal clear medicinal pill drifted over from the snowstorm, and after Autumn caught it, she immediately swallowed it, saying, "Thank you, Royal Father."

The Demon Emperor spoke calmly, "That young martial artist has something on him that's of the same source as that human emperor. We can sense that there might be some bloodline connection between them, either as father and son or something else."

Autumn frowned slightly and did not speak, she just wiped the bloodstains from her glabella.

"However, compared to that, the temperament of both of them is more troublesome than their bloodline. Since you failed to kill him today, you have left us with a future threat. Therefore, he cannot leave the desolate north alive."

Autumn raised her head and looked at her royal father, the Demon Emperor, and asked straightforwardly, "Does Royal Father intend to take action personally?"

The Demon Emperor shook his head. "When have We ever needed to personally deal with a youth like this? Our tolerance is not so small."

Autumn remained silent.

"We know you want him to die at your hands. Even if not today, it would be someone else. However, sometimes personal preferences are not important. Even We cannot act solely based on Our preferences. Besides, do you really think that if you meet him again one day, you'll be able to kill that young martial artist?"

The Demon Emperor's voice, though resonating in the wind and snow, was not as cold, but rather somewhat gentle. It seemed that only when addressing his daughter did this feared ruler of the demon race show such a tender side.

Autumn asked, "Is it like how Royal Father isn't confident in killing that human emperor?"

The Demon Emperor was taken aback, then smiled. "You're the only one in the entire world who dares to say this."

However, the Demon Emperor did not become angry. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke, "Chen Che might not be the most perfect among the human emperors throughout history, but his breadth of spirit is absolutely the greatest, and his cultivation talent is unparalleled throughout the ages. As a martial artist, he has already come very close to Our level. If We really want to kill him, it would inevitably result in severe injuries. Thus, in the previous battle, We held back, but We also gave him a chance. After that battle, he advanced a few more steps. Given his current realm, even We find it difficult to guarantee victory."

The Demon Emperor sighed, “We were the one who created an opponent.”

Chen Che, that was the real name of the Great Liang Emperor.

Autumn was somewhat puzzled. “How can he improve so quickly?”

The Demon Emperor smiled, “At our level, taking even half a step forward is as difficult as ascending to the heavens. To achieve what he has done is indeed not easy. Moreover, he has many concerns and should have been hampered and constrained, making progress difficult. However, in cultivation, there's no logic to speak of. We have heard that among the human race, there are great talents who have leaped across several realms in a single day to reach Nepenthe. Cultivation is not about time alone. If one comes across an opportunity, others can only envy. Conveniently, We can engage in a battle with him. If We had to choose how to leave this world, fighting him would be Our only choice.”

Autumn furrowed her brows, wanting to say something.

But the Demon Emperor merely shook his head and said in a meaningful tone, “In recent years, many powerhouses have emerged in the demon territory, marking the beginning of a great era. However, the human race has a saying: ‘When the moon is full, it wanes; when water is full, it overflows.’ At this moment, We are somewhat concerned about the future of the demon race. The human race has bowed its head for far too long. Even if they raise their heads now, We wouldn't find it strange at all.”

Autumn remained expressionless.

“Whether is it Chen Che or the young martial artist called Chen Chao, both are great enemies of the demon race. If Chen Chao doesn't die today, it will be up to you in the future.”

The Demon Emperor's voice carried a hint of loneliness as he spoke.

He smiled and looked into the wind and snow, murmuring, “They aren't satisfied with this world, We feel the same too.”

……

On top of the Northern Frontier Great Wall's rampart, with the snow and wind hitting his face, the Lord Warden Commander was contemplating climbing up the wall when he unexpectedly saw a figure that should not be there.

Wearing an emperor robe, standing with hands behind his back.

The Lord Warden Commander took a few steps forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and then said with a bitter smile, “Your Majesty, did you keep it from the high-rank officials in court and came to the Northern Frontier by yourself again?”

Sure enough, the figure was the Great Liang Emperor.

The Great Liang Emperor did not turn his head but kept looking forward and asked, “How many people have died?”

The Lord Warden Commander said softly, “More than thirty. Most of them are from those prominent families and don't have a high cultivation realm.”

The Great Liang Emperor seemed to have anticipated this result and was not surprised. He just said calmly, “We sent them to the Northern Frontier to show these youngsters who is really bearing the burden in this world on their behalf. Those old foxes from the great families are hiding their intentions, fearing that We might cut off their bloodline. This was expected. It's not the first time, and it won't be the last. A bunch of opportunists, they will eventually be uprooted by Us.”

The Lord Warden Commander could only smile bitterly. Previously, when the Xia Family was eliminated, everyone thought it was a significant measure. But in reality, he realized that it was merely an appetizer for His Majesty; a drop in the ocean. The thorough cleansing of the entire Great Liang Dynasty had only just begun.

Having experienced the events of that night in the Divine Capital, the Lord Warden Commander knew well that when His Majesty was determined to do something, no one could stop him.

“What about that boy?”

The Great Liang Emperor looked at the snowstorm and asked indifferently, “He hasn't died already, has he?”

The Lord Warden Commander shook his head and said softly, “As far as this subject knows, he has killed quite a few demons recently and is still alive. However, his whereabouts are uncertain. Compared to the demons, our information is indeed slower. It's a known issue.”

The Great Liang Emperor nodded and said indifferently, “It's not surprising, it's been this way for many years.”

The Lord Warden Commander nodded and suddenly asked, “Your Majesty, why have you personally come to the Northern Frontier?”

The Great Liang Emperor smiled and said, “Coming to the Northern Frontier, it's naturally to visit the desolate north.”

The Great Liang Emperor had previously ventured into the desolate north once, which had already caused a significant stir in the foreign lands.

“Are you worried that the Demon Emperor will take action against Chen Chao?”

The Lord Warden Commander’s expression looked somewhat ugly.

“No. If he were to lower himself to take action, he wouldn't deserve to be the Demon Emperor. It's just that so many people want to kill that boy, We have to come and take a look.”

The Great Liang Emperor smiled and said, “Although it was meant to make him face danger and temper himself, if someone were to actually take his head, We really can't bear it."

The Lord Warden Commander suggested, “Why not let this subject go? With someone of Your Majesty's status personally taking risks, this subject still can't help but worry.”

The Great Liang Emperor asked, “The Demon Emperor might not take action against that young man, but once you enter the desolate north, do you think no one will have an interest in your head as the Northern Frontier Great General?”

The Lord Warden Commander opened his mouth but could not say anything.

The Great Liang Emperor said calmly, “We will make a trip in person, just treat it as personally escorting that boy this once. After all, who asked Us to be his uncle.”

The Lord Warden Commander was somewhat shocked but kept his head down, pretending he had not heard the last part.

Although there had always been speculation about Chen Chao's identity, this was the first time the Emperor had mentioned it in front of him.

The Great Liang Emperor smiled and said, “Don't overthink it, it's only natural for an uncle to care for his nephew.”