Emperor Barin

Li Yi was slightly surprised and before he could react, Gong Wushuang had already flashed in front of him. With a slight flick of her right hand, a massive ice blade fiercely collided with the light coming towards them. The light, as if hitting a glacier, shattered into countless pieces, creating a strange sound in the air that made one's scalp tingle... A soft sound of astonishment came from mid-air, then turned cold, "To block a strike from me... You must be at least a King level fighter. I wonder which one of the ten great Kings of Tianfeng you are?"

Li Yi was startled. In this Wanmu Forest, the only ones who would refer to themselves as 'Emperor' were Wind Emperor Hai Xin and that legendary figure, Emperor Barin! It was him! If it were any other King level fighter, Li Yi was confident that with his methods and Gong Wushuang's strength, they could handle it, but this man, said to be the first among the seven Emperors, was not someone Li Yi dared to underestimate. After all, reaching the Emperor level is no simple feat.

"Emperor Barin graces us with his presence," Li Yi greeted with a slight bow, "But for the Emperor to launch a surprise attack upon his arrival seems somewhat unbecoming of his status, doesn't it?" As soon as Li Yi finished speaking, a figure landed about ten steps in front of him, allowing Li Yi to clearly see his face. Emperor Barin was an extremely ugly middle-aged man with a flat nose, long face, short brows, squinty eyes, and most notably, a deep scar running diagonally from below his left eye across his right cheek, distorting his facial features and making him look even more hideous. However, with his level of strength, even just standing there lent him a dignified and imposing air. Despite being known as Emperor Barin, he carried no weapons, merely rubbing his hands together and looking at Li Yi and Gong Wushuang with a playful gaze. After a moment, he burst into laughter, "Interesting! For so many years, even that old monster of the Beidou Sect didn't dare speak to me like this. To think a mere Fighter would have such courage? Not bad! Seems my trip here wasn't in vain after all, encountering such an amusing youngster."

Li Yi smiled faintly, "In front of Emperor Barin, naturally no one dares to speak rashly. But for the Emperor to attack immediately upon arrival clearly shows enmity, not friendship. Why should I be polite?" Barin looked curiously at Gong Wushuang, who remained silent behind Li Yi, and said with a hint of intrigue, "You've got guts... But it's strange to see such a duo here. Even stranger, it seems this Fighter is the one calling the shots. Little guy, don't you know that the weakest in this Wanmu Forest are Warrior level, with many Kings and Emperors around? With your strength, anyone could squash you with a slap... What are you doing here?"

Li Yi laughed, "I'm here for the Emperor's tomb." Barin seemed taken aback by Li Yi's response, then chuckled, "An ignorant youngster... Don't think that just because you have a King level fighter with you, you can gain anything. If you're wise, it's not too late to leave now." Li Yi replied with a slight smile, "Does Emperor Barin think I can just walk away now? Let's not mention others; those guys from the Beidou Sect probably..." As he mentioned "Beidou Sect", Barin's eyes flashed with undisguised killing intent, clearly harboring deep hatred for them. Li Yi vaguely remembered hearing that Barin and Hai Xin were archenemies, but as both had similar talents and had been Emperors for many years, neither could do much to the other. Perhaps Barin was slightly stronger, but Hai Xin had the vast Beidou Sect behind him... But was Emperor Barin truly alone? Li Yi had a hunch about Barin's purpose for appearing here, which calmed some of his initial doubts. He just looked at the foremost figure of Tianfeng with a smile, his eyes full of intrigue.

The killing intent in Barin's eyes flashed and disappeared. After a moment, he sighed, "Very well! It seems you're determined to stay here?" Li Yi responded indifferently, "More or less..." "Then do one thing for me. If you succeed, I'll overlook the fact that you impersonated me. How about it?" Watching Barin's expression, Li Yi knew his actions must have been observed, but his polite demeanor was unusual for someone of his fierce reputation... "Emperor Barin jests, what could a small fry like me do for you... Besides, I don't have that kind of leisure... However, if you wish to collaborate, there might be a chance."

Li Yi's smile was carefree, but it struck Barin as peculiar. He laughed heartily, "An interesting kid indeed, daring to threaten me in this situation. It seems you must have some trump card to dare come here seeking treasure... Not to mention, that little girl behind you already gives you some right to talk to me... Fine, I won't beat around the bush... I've located the Emperor's tomb. If you agree to cooperate, I'll let you choose any three items from inside. How about that?" Li Yi replied coolly, "The terms are not bad, but the risk is greater... With Emperor Barin's reputation, it will surely attract countless people. Three items seem too few..."

"What do you want?" Li Yi chuckled and said, "My demands are not many. In addition to those three items, if the body in the Emperor's tomb is still intact... how about considering that body mine too?"

Barin replied indifferently, "Fine, I have no particular interest in that thing. If you want it, it's yours... Just remember, if our cooperation faces even the slightest error, you know the consequences, right?"

"I'm well aware," Li Yi responded, "But what would you instruct, Emperor Barin?" ...

Two figures darted through the forest like lightning. This time, at least three people sensed their presence, but the focused gaze only lasted a moment before rapidly fading. In the depths of the Wanmu Forest, countless eyes were now on Shang Jie, while others, even upon encountering one another, mutually and silently backed off. Without the appearance of the Emperor's tomb, there was no point in conflict.

"Is this already the third day? Running around like this, can we really draw out Shang Jie?" Gong Wushuang had voiced this doubt many times. "Moreover, Barin using us as bait while he hides in the back, planning to reap the benefits of the fisherman, seems too good to be true... We might end up being swallowed by him, and which Emperor level fighter is easy to deal with?"

Li Yi smiled faintly. Touching the treetops with the tip of his foot, his figure flashed past a somewhat surprised Warrior level fighter. Then he said, "Don't worry, even if Barin has any schemes, are we afraid? Besides, the fact he needs our help with this plan shows he is alone right now and doesn't have anyone to cooperate with. So even if he wants to turn on us, it will definitely be at the last moment. As long as the Emperor's tomb doesn't appear, our relationship with him remains a honeymoon period... And when that time comes, even if he doesn't betray us, I plan to turn on him first! Wasting so much of my time for just three items and a body? I'm not that foolish!"

Gong Wushuang frowned, "Barin is a renowned Emperor level fighter, likely a Four Crystal Emperor. Such a person, I fear we cannot outwit, can we?"

Li Yi replied coolly, "I certainly can't outwit him alone... but there are others, right? Like Hai Xin, I don't believe he doesn't have any plans? As for you, Barin probably doesn't know your true strength. With a prepared mind against an unprepared one, I refuse to believe he won't suffer a loss..."

Gong Wushuang nodded, "As long as you're certain... But let me be clear, if it's not feasible, we leave immediately. I don't want to lose my life here."

Li Yi assured, "I understand... Alright, we've reached our destination. Let's proceed as planned!" As soon as he finished speaking, the two swiftly landed in a clearing within the Wanmu Forest. This clearing, amidst the dense forest and surrounded by ancient, massive rocks, seemed to be an ancient relic. The sight of the relic made Li Yi's eyes brighten. He squatted down, wiped off the sand on a stone tablet, and frowned slightly. The sand vaguely revealed some strange characters, but it was unclear what they meant.

"Is it really here? I can't sense anything," Gong Wushuang whispered.

Li Yi chuckled, "Shang Jie is quite clever, choosing to hide here. But it's not hard to find him. Watch this!" Closing his eyes to sense for a moment, he suddenly laughed, "Shang Jie is smart indeed, knowing the principle of 'appear weak when strong, and strong when weak.' But it's time to come out!" His right palm surged with Dou Qi and slammed towards the ground.

"Thud!" A muffled groan, and a figure burst from the sand – it was indeed Shang Jie! He looked both furious and shocked, unable to comprehend how he had been discovered while hiding in the sand. Sensing Gong Wushuang's presence, he darted like a frightened deer deeper into the ruins.

"It seems the Emperor's tomb is deeper in these ruins," Li Yi touched his nose and said with a faint smile. Gong Wushuang frowned, "Now that we know where the Emperor's tomb is, what next?"

"We wait! That moment just now, many must have sensed Shang Jie's presence. Let them fight it out... In the end, the ownership of the Emperor's tomb will be decided between Barin and Hai Xin... and of course, me!" As Li Yi spoke with a smile, Gong Wushuang hummed softly, then suddenly warned, "Someone's coming! Hide!" They quickly concealed themselves in a corner of the ruins. Moments later, several sounds of breaking air approached rapidly.

"Seven Kings, and five have dared to come first... The remaining two, along with Hai Xin, won't be late. As for the Warrior level fighters, they won't show up in such a scenario... Just not sure when that old fox Barin will appear. If he doesn't show, Hai Xin likely won't either," Li Yi mused, sensing the surroundings. Despite the enormous pressure from the presence of the Kings, he remained composed, earning a silent commendation from Gong Wushuang.

"Don't speak too soon... If I'm not sensing it wrong, Barin has already appeared. And Hai Xin shouldn't be far behind."