Chapter 99: Emperor Wei's True Inheritance
As the three figures arrived at the dragon's head mountain, Xiao Nanfeng belatedly discovered that this one was different from the other two. Compared to those in the two empresses' illusory realms, the dragon's head mountain here was larger and loftier.
This time, there was no one gathered by the foot of the mountain. The mists at the peak were even thicker, and an imposing figure stood on the plaza there.
The figure, who stood with hands clasped behind his back, seemed to be looking down on the entire world. Even from afar, Xiao Nanfeng and Yu'er felt a sense of tremendous pressure.
Upon seeing that figure, the Red Emperor hesitated. Her nose wrinkled as tears wet her eyes. This was the Red Emperor's first time crying since the two cultivators had encountered her. In that case, the imposing figure had to be the emperor of Great Wei.
"Is that Emperor Wei? Didn't he head to the divine domain to seek rebirth there?" Yu'er asked.
The Red Emperor wiped at her tears and sucked in a deep breath. "It's just a remnant of my consort, not my consort himself."
Even the remnant alone, however, was sufficient to cause havoc on the Red Emperor's emotions. She had to suck in many deep breaths to calm herself, forcing herself not to look at the figure at the peak of the mountain.
Just then, Xiao Nanfeng found that the stairs leading up the mountain were exceptionally unusual. There were over a hundred open-air plazas from the base of the mountain to its top. The sound of combat could be heard within. Red- and blue-armored cultivators were repeatedly sent flying through the air.
"Cultivators of Qi and Yan? As expected, they do have seals into this illusory realm. With whom are they fighting?" Yu'er frowned.
"This is the 'Plaza Stairway' that my consort established. A hundred and eight different champions stand on each plaza, each of whom were once my consort's enemies. My consort consolidated their fist techniques into Hegemon's Fist," the Red Emperor explained.
"Oh?" The two cultivators looked toward the Red Emperor.
"When my consort went to seek rebirth in the divine domain, he established these champions and their plazas, promising that any able to defeat all the champions and arrive at the peak of the mountain would gain my consort's true inheritance," the Red Emperor continued.
"Emperor Wei's true inheritance?" Xiao Nanfeng was enticed.
"Defeating them is no easy feat," the Red Emperor warned. "Your spiritual power will be restricted to their level."
"A test of martial skill alone, with our spiritual powers equalized?" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes grew brighter.
"Are you a practitioner of Hegemon's Fist?" The Red Emperor looked toward Xiao Nanfeng.
"Yes, Your Majesty! I've reached mastery with the technique," Xiao Nanfeng reported honestly.
"Mastery? Ha!" The Red Emperor glanced at him with some disdain.
"Master, Hegemon's Fist is an exceptionally difficult technique, and the vast majority of cultivators in the world at large are unable to comprehend even the basics. Nanfeng has done an incredible job at his level," Yu'er explained, trying to help her master understand Xiao Nanfeng's achievement.
"Show me your Hegemon's Fist, then," the Red Emperor commanded, stepping toward the first plaza. The two cultivators followed suit.
There were no stairs between the first and second plaza, and there even seemed to be a barrier preventing access to the second from the first.
"Defeat the first champion and the stairs leading to the second plaza will appear," the Red Emperor explained.
A black-faced monk appeared before the three figures. His palms were clasped in a gesture of peace, though his face was fierce and showed no compassion. Fighting spirit brimmed from him.
"This is the first champion?" Xiao Nanfeng asked curiously.
"This is the first opponent of notable strength that my consort encountered at the age of sixteen, Black Vajra," the Red Emperor introduced. "Nanfeng, have a try."
Xiao Nanfeng nodded and stepped up to the monk.
Black Vajra's eyes lit up as he pounced straight toward Xiao Nanfeng.
The two combatants' fists met. With equal spiritual power, they were evenly matched. They shot toward each other once again, exchanging dozens of blows in a flurry.
Black Vajra was a particularly strong cultivator, with vicious skills that targeted Xiao Nanfeng's vitals. With Hegemon's Fist, Xiao Nanfeng was able to hold him off and slowly gain the upper ground.
Suddenly, as he discovered one of Black Vajra's weaknesses, Xiao Nanfeng's eyes lit up. He struck Black Vajra in the chest, sending him flying into the distance. The moment Black Vajra struck the ground, he admitted defeat.
"Amitabha!" Black Vajra clasped his palms together once more and bowed toward Xiao Nanfeng. Behind him came a rumble. The stairway to the second plaza had appeared.
"Master, look! Nanfeng's Hegemon's Fist was able to beat this Black Vajra!" Yu'er exclaimed happily.
The Red Emperor looked toward Xiao Nanfeng. "What did you think?"
Xiao Nanfeng thought for a moment. "Black Vajra's fist technique was certainly strong, but that weakness it revealed seemed unnatural. An ordinary person wouldn't have done so."
"That's right. The real Black Vajra wouldn't have exposed such a weakness, but this is only an eidolon generated by my consort with a wisp of spiritual power. He cannot think, and all he knows is this fist technique. With sufficient effort, any cultivator would spot this weakness and be able to defeat him." The Red Emperor nodded approvingly.
"Oh? As long as you can identify these champions' weaknesses, you can climb all the way to the top?" Xiao Nanfeng murmured thoughtfully.
"The higher up the champion, the more intricate the fist technique used, and the harder it will be to find any weaknesses. My consort designed these eidola for the purpose of instructing any trial-takers in Hegemon's Fist," the Red Emperor explained.
"Is that so?" Xiao Nanfeng pondered the information carefully.
"How go your studies of Hegemon's Fist?" the Red Emperor asked.
"It's getting harder and harder. I used to spend great effort attempting to understand Hegemon's Fist in its entirety, but the more I do so, the more mysterious it appears. Although I've reached mastery, I feel like there's a vital component missing in my understanding, and I find it very difficult to advance while lacking it," Xiao Nanfeng replied, frowning. This was in spite of his superior yin pearl.
"You're lacking experience," the Red Emperor explained. "You have learned the form of Hegemon's Fist, but not its heart. It is as if you've built a tall tower with a hollow foundation, which might topple at any moment."
"Please educate me, Your Majesty." Xiao Nanfeng nodded as he paid careful attention.
"My consort developed Hegemon's Fist by consolidating the fist techniques of these hundred and eight champions. You must inculcate these techniques in your study of Hegemon's Fist," the Red Emperor instructed Xiao Nanfeng.
"Your Majesty, do you mean that this Plaza Stairway itself is Emperor Wei's true inheritance?" Xiao Nanfeng gasped.
The Red Emperor glanced above her at the hundred-odd plazas that dotted the mountain. "It is so. To get past these plazas with ingenuity is to miss an opportunity. Fail, struggle, learn; with hard work alone will you reach the peak and gain that which you seek."
Xiao Nanfeng sucked in a deep breath and turned toward the plaza expectantly. "Thank you for the instruction, Your Majesty. Please permit me to try again."
"It is unfortunate that these fist techniques will take extreme investment to study and comprehend. We have not the luxury of time," the Red Emperor sighed, frowning.
"Your Majesty, it doesn't take me much time to learn fist techniques. Please allow me to demonstrate." Xiao Nanfeng was very confident. With the superior yin pearl, he was able to memorize all that he saw with a single glance.
"Oh?" The Red Emperor looked expectantly at Xiao Nanfeng.
Xiao Nanfeng bowed toward Black Vajra.
Sensing the champion, Black Vajra immediately stepped forward. With a clash, the two combatants began fighting once more.
Xiao Nanfeng ignored Black Vajra's weakness. He began to absorb his fist technique, exchanging blow after blow. Gradually, their fist techniques became near-identical.
"Hmm? Such tremendous talent, to be able to memorize and replicate the fist technique in barely any time at all..." the Red Emperor murmured, staring at the astonishing sight.
Within an hour, the two combatants' fist techniques were all but copies of each other. Even so, Xiao Nanfeng's technique still seemed lacking in some form, and he was barely able to avoid being pushed back.
"That's enough," the Red Emperor called out.
Xiao Nanfeng quickly struck Black Vajra's unnatural weakness and took him down, ending the fight.
"Your Majesty, I've learned Black Vajra's fist technique, but only to a superficial degree. Although it is far less complex and demanding than Hegemon's Fist, I'll still take some time to reach his level of mastery," Xiao Nanfeng explained, frowning.
"There's no need. I can allow you to reach that level of mastery immediately," the Red Emperor promised.
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