Chapter 432: A Bloody Case Caused by a Stone

"Have we met before?" Lin Fan looked at the emperor, dressed in magnificent robes and exuding an imposing aura. He felt a sense of unfamiliarity. He racked his brain, trying to recall if they had met somewhere before, but after a long while, he still couldn't place him.

It was strange. He had always stayed within the confines of the Zi Mountain Lin Manor and had never offended anyone. Why was this person treating him like this?

Looking at the soldiers called forth, there were so many of them, stretching as far as the eye could see. Fortunately, he possessed the skill of intimidating people with a glare. His stare made these fellows obediently retreat, preventing them from charging towards him. Otherwise, there would have definitely been casualties.

He could see that these soldiers weren't in control of their own actions. Some kind of will was forcibly imposed upon them. At the same time, the other party had offered generous rewards, tempting their desires and blinding their eyes, leading them to commit foolish acts.

Thinking about it… he felt they were truly pitiful.

The emperor looked at Lin Fan with cold indifference, scrutinizing him carefully. He appeared utterly ordinary, without anything remarkable about him, and quite young. Such a person had made him endure years of hardship and humiliation. He couldn't help but feel it wasn't worth it.

However, the other party's previous actions were terrifying. Hundreds of thousands of troops were scared off by him. Even he couldn't achieve such a feat.

"Are you playing dumb with me?" the emperor roared angrily.

Lin Fan smiled faintly. "Speak nicely. Don't be so angry. It will greatly affect your state of mind. I can detect that your blood flow is accelerating, about twice as fast as before. Your heart is filled with rage, making it difficult to maintain the friendly demeanor you had just now. I hope you understand that some things might not be as you think."

Anyone in Lin Fan's situation would be enraged. I'm showing anger, yet you remain calm, as if nothing has happened. And that indifferent attitude is truly infuriating.

The emperor clenched his fists, his gaze growing sharper.

"Shut up!" he bellowed.

The emperor appeared before Lin Fan, his hand outstretched like an eagle's claw, and grabbed Lin Fan's neck. With his arm tilted, Lin Fan's feet left the ground, lifted by the emperor.

A normal person in this situation would undoubtedly have a flushed face, struggle to breathe, flail their limbs, and desperately seek a foothold to take a breath of fresh air.

"Why are you choking me?" Lin Fan asked calmly, suspended in mid-air by the emperor.

The Two Saints of Heaven and Earth sensed the emperor's terrifying aura. Exchanging glances, they revealed shocked expressions. They had never imagined that in just over twenty years, someone could cultivate to such a level.

It was truly unbelievable.

"Perhaps this is your special way of greeting?" Lin Fan mused, thinking it was a real possibility. Then, with lightning speed, he reached out and grabbed the emperor's neck, slowly lifting him…

A scene defying science unfolded.

The emperor's feet left the ground, lifted by Lin Fan.

My god… The Two Saints stared in astonishment. Despite their astonishing cultivation, they had received some education in their youth and had encountered strange and unusual things. For instance, this mutual lifting by the neck was clearly impossible.

"No, he's using his True Essence to stand in the air, not being lifted." The Earth Saint exclaimed in surprise, his expression grave. What truly shocked him was the emperor's ability to suspend himself in mid-air using True Essence.

Neither he nor the Heaven Saint could achieve this.

Even when using lightness skills, they needed a point of support, even a small pebble. However, the emperor appeared to be relying solely on True Essence.

"Has he become this powerful?" The Earth Saint muttered to himself. He felt like his years of cultivation had gone to waste, a lifetime of practice surpassed by another. Calculating quickly, the current emperor was only in his thirties.

How did he cultivate so rapidly?

They were unaware that the Five Elements Ancestor had infused the emperor with his own hundred-plus years of accumulated True Essence, creating a terrestrial immortal unparalleled in the world, save for Lin Fan.

At this moment, the emperor unleashed his True Essence, attempting to blast Lin Fan away, but the effect was disappointingly weak.

"How are you unharmed?" He was truly incredulous, as if he had seen a ghost.

Lin Fan smiled. "Impressive power, just a little lacking, but don't be discouraged. You have plenty of room for improvement."

"Hmm, I must be making you uncomfortable. I'll let go, and you let go too."

With that, Lin Fan released his grip.

The emperor immediately let go. Being so close had no effect, and to him, continuing like this was merely a waste of time.

The emperor tapped his feet lightly, like an eagle spreading its wings, swiftly retreating. Then, he quietly floated in mid-air. To others, this was a divine ability.

Who could fly? Who could traverse the void? If anyone disagreed, let them come forth and try.

Truthfully, no one disagreed. Even Lin Fan couldn't fly, let alone anyone else.

Liu Xun, the emperor's loyal old eunuch, cried out excitedly, "Long live the Emperor!"

Wang Zhong of the Surveillance Department, now elderly, echoed the sentiment, "Long live the Emperor!"

The retreating soldiers, witnessing their emperor ascend into the air, stood frozen in place, staring blankly. To them, it was like a celestial being descending before their eyes.

Who could fly? They certainly couldn't.

At this moment, a terrifying wave of True Essence erupted from the emperor, multicolored and flowing like ribbons, sweeping across the surroundings.

"True Essence leaking out, solidifying into form, what realm has he reached?" The Two Saints were aghast. They had never witnessed such a phenomenon in all their years of cultivation. Even after years of training under Lin Fan, they couldn't achieve this.

"Lin Fan, you killed my father, humiliated my dynasty, your crimes are too numerous to list! Today, I shall slay you here. Use whatever skills you have!"

"Mountain Mover!" The emperor roared, his five fingers grasping towards the distance. The earth trembled as a distant mountain was uprooted, rising into the air, countless rocks tumbling down.

This was a feat beyond human comprehension.

"Ah…" Everyone was stunned, mouths agape.

"Divine power! Our Emperor is a celestial being!" Liu Xun shouted.

If the emperor wasn't a celestial being, how could he achieve such a feat?

This scene invigorated the retreating soldiers. Their backing possessed divine powers. With such power, what was there to fear?

Recalling their previous retreat, they felt a sense of unease.

Then, a soldier shouted, "Long live the Emperor!" hoping to alleviate the awkwardness and avoid repercussions later. Following his shout, all the soldiers reacted, their strong survival instincts amplifying their voices.

"I am the will of the people." The emperor, hearing these cheers, felt invigorated, his aura radiating dominance, as if the entire world was under his control.

The Two Saints' faces had turned pale. Looking at each other, they wondered, "Can martial arts reach such a level?" This was their only thought, something beyond their imagination.

The Heaven Saint said gravely, "Legend says the Five Elements Ancestor's Five Elements Secret Art has a highest realm called Five Elements Unity, but no one has ever achieved it. Could he have reached this realm, a realm beyond our comprehension?"

The Earth Saint replied, "But with his age, can he possess such profound True Essence to achieve Five Elements Unity?"

"Don't forget the True Essence of the Five Elements Ancestors."

"It's possible if they infused their True Essence into him, but they would die."

"To witness the Five Elements Unity expert they personally cultivated, they would likely be content."

The emperor's long hair flowed, his robes billowed, the Five Elements Golden Core within him spun ceaselessly, granting him the absolute power to uproot a mountain from afar. Countless ancient texts contained legendary secret arts and divine abilities. Without reaching that realm, these were just stories, meant for entertainment. When one's power reached a certain level, these stories became reality, mythical powers within reach.

"Suppress!" The emperor roared, his five fingers pressing down towards Lin Fan. The uprooted mountain, blotting out the sky, descended upon Lin Fan.

The mountain's weight was immeasurable, enough to crush anyone.

Lin Fan raised his hand, catching the falling mountain. It felt light, not heavy at all. With a flick of his wrist, the mountain shot towards the sky with a whoosh, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

The emperor, who had been brimming with confidence, was dumbfounded by this sight.

He looked up at the sky, utterly bewildered.

His 'Mountain Mover' technique, cultivated for years and considered by him as a magical art, consumed a tremendous amount of energy. A single use nearly depleted his True Essence.

But… what in the world just happened?

A small black dot fell from the sky.

No one noticed. Everyone was still in shock.

Gradually, the black dot grew larger. Looking closely, it was a fist-sized rock falling down.

The emperor, as if frozen in place, stared blankly. His vision of the sky was gradually obscured by the shadow.

The fist-sized rock slammed into the emperor's head.

His head tilted, and he collapsed to the ground.

Liu Xun cried out in alarm, "Your Majesty…"

Despite his anxiety, he dared not approach.

After a long while, the emperor slowly got up.

Liu Xun rejoiced, "Your Majesty…" but still kept his distance.

A large bump had formed on the emperor's head. His previously domineering gaze now appeared vacant.

"Who am I?"

"Where am I?"

He saw the surrounding soldiers with their weapons and his face turned pale.

"Ah! Don't kill me…"

With that, he turned and fled, quickly disappearing into the distance.