The Immortal Emperor Returns

Chapter 313 What A Huge Tortoise!

The entire rock began shuddering with stones rolling down its slopes.

Everyone rushed down the rock and looked back.

The rock’s tremor only grew stronger and stronger as more cracks opened and grew everywhere.

“Let’s go,” said Chu Xun.

Chu Xun and his companions retreated until they were at the edge of the space inside the golden dome.

Rumble!

The gigantic opened fan-shaped rock burst into pieces and what’s left of it ultimately toppled down into a heap of large boulders and rocks.

Boom!

Chu Xun flung his arms and fired several bolts of energy that destroyed any rocks falling their way.

Other explorers around followed suit, with some preferring to evade and dodge.

Finally, the turmoil came to an end and the dust settled.

Only rubbles of boulders remained where the opened fan-shaped rock once stood, save for the silvery magical tree still standing magnificently on the surface of the ice, glowing softly and daintily.

That startled everyone and the same ugly greed reared its head. Not being able to reach the tree when it was perching at the top of the rock, they were filled with joy to find it now on the ground.

Swoosh!

No longer being able to hold back any longer, Zang Fengling was the first to bolt for the magical tree.

Yan Wushuang would have rushed forward too, if not for Chu Xun holding him back. The latter was certain that there must be something amiss, especially with that ancient voice that spoke to him earlier.

Boom!

Right before Zang Fengling reached the tree, an enormous paw broke out of the ice and slammed on him.

Startled, Zang Fengling quickly channeled his powers to defend himself.

Bang!

The blow struck Zang Fengling, pulverizing his Internal Breath and blasting him off his feet. Howling, he barreled away like a cannonball and crashed into the ice.

Everyone gasped with horror.

The monster paw was so huge that its sheer girth dwarfed even the full size of the Beast Lords.

Chu Xun peered at the Beast Lords. All of them – the large brightly-striped tiger, the raging crimson-furred ape among them – were prostrated on the ground, trembling with visible fear.

The gigantic paw clawed at the ice and an ear-splitting splintering noise screamed across the ice as a long gaping crack grew longer and wider. Whatever it was down there, it was coming up.

An impossibly strong and terrible aura rolled across the entire inside of the dome, sweeping like a wave that engulfed everyone into fits of terror.

Rumble!

For a several-hundred-meter radius from the center point, which was the pile of rubble that was once the opened fan-shaped rock, the ice began shattering to give way to a mountain rising from the water.

Eyes shot wide and jaws dropped at the indomitable aura billowing, engulfing the entire inside of the dome, leaving everyone’s heart racing and their blood churning with apprehension.

Boom!

The tip of the mountain rose higher and higher, revealing its full prominence and stature as another paw broke out and grappled on the ice. Then two more came out. Each of the paws looked as thick as an elephant’s, only several hundred times larger.

Lastly, an incredibly massive tail came out before its head revealed itself.

“Heaven Almighty,” Chu Xun gasped. “What a huge tortoise!”

It was a tortoise with its size bigger than a mountain.

The other explorers reeled with fright at Chu Xun’s words, hoping that Chu Xun’s outburst would not anger the monster tortoise.

Bang! Bang!

With each heavy pace that rocked the mountains of Kunlun ringed around them, the behemothic tortoise turned slowly.

It peered at Chu Xun.

With such a humungous size, Chu Xun wouldn’t even know where to start, even if he wished to fight it. What’s more, he finally realized the round object that disrupted his Divine Sense when he tried to trace the origin of the ancient voice that communicated telepathically with him earlier: the tortoise’s eye.

Cold sweat rolled down Yan Wushuang’s face. Standing before a creature of such impossible girth and might daunted him so greatly that he could not even draw his weapon.

Zang Fengling and Pan Chengfeng, however, were cursing quietly deep inside, hoping that Chu Xun’s offhanded remark had angered the tortoise, and it would kill him.

Chu Xun felt the inside of his palms slicking wet. The monster tortoise’s aura showed that it was lower than Emperor Ao in strength and power, yet still, it was enough to destroy him utterly, and he braced himself to flee.

“What are you?” the ancient voice reverberated in Chu Xun’s mind again, “Are you man or beast?”

If Chu Xun was uncertain before, he was sure now that the ancient voice belonged to this ancient giant tortoise.

“I’m a human,” Chu Xun replied telepathically.

“But I could’ve sworn I caught the smell of beasts off you.”

It must be due to the Ancestral Dragon’s bone, Chu Xun surmised.

“I’m sure you’re mistaken,” Chu Xun responded flatly. He reserved reverence only to his parents and no one else, not even Emperor Ao.

The huge eyes stared inquiringly at Chu Xun before it finally said, “Well then, farewell, Friend!”

“Where are you going to?” Chu Xun uttered before he realized it.

“To where I’m needed. We are the tribe of Celestial Tortoises, and this is our duty, for I have been summoned,” the tortoise spoke through its mind as it began stepping over the top of a mountain.

“Tarry not, my friend. Chaos is near... Chaos is near... Beware...” Its deep, hollow voice echoed incessantly with the same tinge of gloomy sorrow that one would feel when one rode to war, not knowing if he might return again.

Chu Xun fell into contemplative silence, remembering the gigantic golden spider he encountered not long ago. Its power level was similar to this Celestial Tortoise.

But what did he say, that chaos is near? Is chaos already not upon us? I must see Emperor Ao; he might know something.

“Are you okay, Liu?” asked Yan Wushuang, worried after seeing the lost look on Chu Xun’s face.

“I’m fine,” Chu Xun recovered from his stupor and smiled.

Zang Fengling and Pan Chengfeng, however, were disgusted. Idiot tortoise! How did you leave just like that?!

“Everyone,” Chu Xun said to the other explorers, “Please return the suits of armor.”

He instructed Yan Wushuang to borrow his men’s armor to them during the climbing up the opened fan-shaped rock.

But these men were reluctant; upon seeing how powerful this armor was, they wanted to keep it.

“I don’t understand it. Is this not a gift Master Yan gave us? Are you trying to say you want back a gift after giving it away?” glowered a scholarly-looking man called Feng Qingyun, a member of the Order of the Emerald Sun and a Seventh-grade Human King.

Damned fools have turned greedy, Yan Wushuang seethed quietly. “Everyone, I was only lending it...”

Chu Xun stopped him before he could finish, shaking his head. With a sneer, Chu Xun regarded Feng Qingyun.

Swoosh!

Chu Xun streaked right at him like a bullet with his fists raised, and he flailed them. The air shuddered with rumbles like thunder.

The immense weight he endured when he was climbing the rock earlier had somehow enhanced the strength of his Azure Dragon’s Nine Transformations Technique, making his blows stronger and faster than before.

Rumbles that resembled dragon roars came every time he swung his fists.

Feng Qingyun’s face sank, more indignant than incredulous and terrified, for Chu Xun clearly showed him no respect by deciding to attack him.

“Impudence.”

Feng Qingyun growled as he summoned his Internal Breath and fired a blast at Chu Xun.

Bang!

Chu Xun’s first blow pounded to bits Feng Qingyun’s barrage of Internal Breath.

Bang!

His next blow burst through the man’s seven-layered protective aura.

His third blow came like scythes, rending Feng Qingyun’s robes into shreds, revealing the suit of armor he was wearing inside.

Bang!

And his fourth caved in the man’s chest, sending him flying off spewing blood.

He dashed after him, speeding ahead like a shadowy phantom, and easily ripped the armor off him while deftly sliding off his Storage Ring on his finger.

And with a quick and vicious roundhouse kick into Feng Qingyun’s waist that ruptured his ribs, he kicked the man away for thousands of meters.

Fortunately for the latter, with the departure of the Celestial Tortoise, gone were the golden dome enveloping around them and the storm system raging outside before, or the lightning blasts would have easily shredded him to bits.

“Give it back!” Feng Qingyun cried hoarsely when he finally hit the ground.

“One more word and I’ll take your life too,” hissed Chu Xun coldly.

The terrifying look on Chu Xun was enough to silence Feng Qingyun, albeit resentfully.

That was enough for the other three – each chieftain of their respective orders – who borrowed their armor from Yan Wushuang to shiver with fright.

“Thank you so much, Yan, for lending me this armor. I’ll remember this favor,” said one of them, quickly undoing the straps of his armor.

Yan Wushuang was about to respond when Chu Xun blazed past him and began beating up the man.

With just three punches, this man was also soundly defeated with an angry crater in his chest and his Storage Ring taken.

“Why?! I’ve given back the armor! What is the meaning of this?!” cried the man, terrified but yet enraged at his Storage Ring being confiscated.

“You speak as if you were sincere in returning the armor,” snarled Chu Xun, “Be thankful enough that you still have your life.”

With nothing further, Chu Xun lunged at another, displaying the same speed and ferocity that no one could ever hope to match.

It was like a practice session for him to get used to the new Azure Dragon’s Nine Transformations Technique that seemed more powerful and more comfortable to him now.

In mere moments, Chu Xun made short work of all four chieftains who coveted the suits of armor – teaching them a great lesson, reclaiming the suits of armor while taking all their Storage Rings.

“That is rather high-handed of you, Friend,” cried one of them, vomiting more blood as he spoke, “What you’re doing is merely putting the Yan Family in a bad light.”

“Hmph, I lent you the armor out of goodwill, and yet you turned greedy!” Yan Wushuang scowled bitterly at their shamefulness, “If retribution is what you’d expect from the Yan Family, rest assured that I shall be expecting you myself!”

Meanwhile, Chu Xun turned his focus to Pan Chengfeng, “Gimme back the halberd.”

The leader of the contingent of the Chamber of Purple Garments smirked and produced his Sacred Relics, the halberd and bronze mirror. “Here it is; come take it yourself if you dare.”

Swoosh!

Chu Xun charged like a stampeding bull with his fists at the ready.

Swoosh!

Pan Chengfeng operated his bronze mirror, using it to fire jet-black energy beams at Chu Xun.

Rumbles resembling dragon roars resounded as Chu Xun swung his fist.

With a bang, the dark obsidian beam was defeated by one single punch by Chu Xun.

Pan Chengfeng’s eyes twitched with trepidation and horror. This oaf’s so unbelievably tough that not even my bronze mirror could damage him!

That shocked every other explorer too; they were all repelled by the might of Pan Chengfeng’s bronze mirror earlier.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

The mirror fired another pair of black energy beams at Chu Xun again.

But Chu Xun was as unstoppable as a raging fire; his fists flailed around furiously, both glowing with concentrated amounts of True Energy, and with two successive bangs, the energy beams were destroyed.

And Chu Xun was already upon Pan Chengfeng.

Aghast, Pan Chengfeng frantically put away his mirror and channeled his powers into his halberd, operating it. The golden pole arm shone with a bright blinding brilliance and swung in a deadly arc.

Chu Xun hammered a fist right at the halberd.

Bang!

Upon its first impact, the blinding blow of the halberd weakened visibly and Pan Chengfeng was rammed off his feet.

Swoosh!

Something long and black, shining with a lucid sparkle, shot straight at Chu Xun.

Chu Xun spun around and lashed his fist furiously. Angry sparks burst into the air, and the black object was sent flying off, deflected.

That was Zang Fengling’s spear. He threw it at Chu Xun like a javelin in an attempt to attack him by surprise.

Chu Xun tore his attention off Pan Chengfeng and charged at Zang Fengling.

“What was that, Master Sexual Dysfunctional? Are you seeking death?” smirked Chu Xun with a fist raised.

Stricken with fright, Zang Fengling felt only shame and anger after being lightly-injured by the gigantic tortoise earlier, and he sprang to his feet, eager to retaliate against Chu Xun to salvage some pride.

Boom!

A mighty and turbulent tidal wave of Internal Breath was blasted away by the sheer might of Chu Xun, and a miniature storm raged in its aftermath.

The long, black spear wheeled back against, thrusting its tip at Chu Xun, but he easily fired two blasts of True Energy that bent the long pole arm in its middle.

“Your weapon is just like you, Master Sexual Dysfunctional – dysfunctional, indeed,” teased Chu Xun.

“You bumpkin oaf,” seethed Zang Fengling with indignance.

Bang!

Chu Xun stormed at him and flung him into the air with a vicious uppercut before ripping off the chain connecting the spear, and he went on twisting the spear into a semi-circle. Finally, he tossed it over his shoulder casually as if it was trash.

“To think that as one of the major families of these lands, the Zang Family would produce such lousy weapons. Surely you can find steel better than this to match your good name, Master Sexual Dysfunctional?”

Arggh!

Zang Fengling could no longer hold back his anger and vomited a mouthful of blood as his insides squirmed and convulsed with pain. The long, black spear he used was no Sacred Relic, but it was nevertheless the handiwork of a great weaponsmith that could easily defeat any other weapon, including Sacred Relics. Yet now, it ended up as nothing more than trash.