"The next generation Human Emperor?"
Quinn Shepherd was puzzled. The title sounded strange—there was already an emperor in this world, along with cult masters, sect leaders, and clan heads, each with their own domain. What was the Human Emperor supposed to do?
It seemed like there was nowhere left in the world for a Human Emperor to rule.
"The Human Emperor isn't some lofty ruler—he has no power, only responsibility."
Village Chief said, "The Human Emperor isn't meant to govern all beings or wield dominion, waging war and subduing the unruly. It's a state of mind—a kind of ethos. The Human Emperor has a treasure seal, left by the first of our lineage. I tossed it under my bed. Go fetch it."
Quinn went to Village Chief's room and, sure enough, found a lump of black iron under the bed. He picked it up and saw it was a palm-sized black iron seal, carved with ancient bird-insect script.
Quinn handed the black iron seal to Village Chief. Village Chief blinked and said, "This is the Human Emperor Seal—the supreme sacred relic of our lineage."
Quinn stared at the seal and stammered, "Village Chief, do we have any other sacred relics in our lineage?"
Village Chief grew angry. The Human Emperor Seal flew up and smacked Quinn on the forehead, raising a huge lump, then dropped into his arms.
Village Chief said, "The Human Emperor Seal is yours. You're the Human Emperor of this generation now."
"That's all it takes?" Quinn was stunned.
Even Apothecary was startled. Village Chief always said his burden was heavy and his responsibility grave, and the title of Human Emperor sounded so daunting. He'd thought there would be some grand ceremony for Quinn to take up the mantle.
He hadn't expected Village Chief to just toss Quinn a lump of iron and call it succession.
"Nowadays, hardly anyone even knows about the Human Emperor. We're not a sect, nor a nation's ruler—just a lineage, passed down generation by generation, always to one person. Usually, we seek out the brightest, most insightful soul of the age. This time, the smartest is the Imperial Preceptor of Everpeace, but he's likely not interested. Besides, he's already forged his own path and can't accept my legacy or burden."
Village Chief sighed. "And I'm too lazy to go searching. After thinking it over, you're just barely passable."
Quinn tried to comfort him. "Village Chief, don't force it. I think you could find someone better."
Apothecary looked at him oddly.
Village Chief was practically choking with annoyance. The brat was clearly just put off by the trouble and lack of benefit, so he wasn't too keen.
"One trip out and your guts have grown—you dare to mock me now!"
Village Chief sneered, "So, are you going to be the Human Emperor or not?"
Quinn forced a smile. "Fine, fine. Just add it to the pile of dirty, exhausting jobs I already have—being Human Emperor is just one more."
Village Chief was fuming, wishing he could grow an arm just to smack Quinn on the head. He scolded, "Do you know how many people have begged me to teach them swordsmanship? I refused. They pleaded for my legacy and I wouldn't give it. And you have the nerve to complain?"
Quinn hung his head, kicked a pebble, and muttered, "I'm not complaining, just saying it's only a title—doesn't seem useful. Just teach me sword arts, Village Chief. Maybe give the Human Emperor title to someone else?"
Village Chief laughed angrily and looked at Apothecary. "What do you think—does he seem ungrateful? Is being Human Emperor shameful now? Getting bolder by the day!"
Apothecary coughed and said, "You two chat. I'll go check on my bugs before they freeze to death."
Village Chief was beside himself, then suddenly realized, and burst out laughing. "Others beg me to teach them, and I won't. Now you're making me beg you to learn, is that it? You've gotten sly. Truth is, you're not really Human Emperor material. If I weren't so lazy, I'd definitely find a better candidate."
Quinn pouted and muttered under his breath, "I've got the Overlord Body—who could be better than me?"
Village Chief nearly choked on his own breath. Quinn rushed over to rub his chest and pound his back. As Village Chief recovered, Quinn was about to speak when the old man said, "Hold on, let me catch my breath... My head's spinning..."
The old man's eye twitched. The instigator was finally getting his comeuppance.
After a long while, he finally came to his senses. That joke he'd once made—others believed it, but he knew it was just a joke. Seeing them take it seriously had always secretly amused him.
But now, having chosen Quinn as his successor, did he himself believe Quinn was truly the Overlord Body?
"Lie enough times, and even when you know it's false, you start to believe it yourself. Forget it, forget it."
Village Chief let it go and smiled. "We Human Emperors only have one duty."
His eyes flashed, as if countless sword-lights burst from his pupils, dazzlingly bright: "Slay gods, slay demons, slay heaven!"
"What belongs to gods, let gods manage. What belongs to demons, let demons manage. What belongs to humans, humans must decide!"
"If gods or demons meddle, cut off their hands!"
"If gods or demons stick their heads out, chop off their heads! That's the basic duty of a Human Emperor."
"Once you're strong enough, you'll have even more responsibilities: to slay gods, to slay demons, to slay heaven! Fight your way to the heavens—hey, get back here!"
Quinn tossed the Human Emperor Seal into Village Chief's arms and turned to leave.
Village Chief, furious, shaped his yuanqi into a giant hand, grabbed Quinn by the collar, and hauled him back. With a pleasant face, he said, "You're this generation's Human Emperor—how could you not know our lineage's creed? I'm not done yet... Trying to run? Apothecary, Apothecary, come help me hold him down!"
Village Chief smiled, forging sword from qi, and said leisurely, "Alright. If you defeat me, I'll take the Human Emperor Seal to my grave."
Quinn took a deep breath. Suddenly, his body transformed, divinized—he became the Taibai Star Lord, standing atop twin dragons and tigers, his forehead shining white. His yuanqi turned to gold, gathering into sword light that erupted in a blinding flare!
Sword Treading the Rivers and Mountains!
Under his sword, mountains and rivers burst forth, unfurling like a scroll painting that enveloped the village, drawing Village Chief into his landscape!
He not only fused the Imperial Preceptor's foundational sword forms but also Deaf's painting-dao, so thousands of mountains and rivers surged forward—like a real world come alive.
This sword technique was so profound, it could no longer be called mere swordplay—it was dao, the way of the sword.
His Sword Treading the Rivers and Mountains blossomed to its fullest, unleashing all its power. At that moment, Village Chief's single strand of sword light flickered—also Sword Treading the Rivers and Mountains. It was as if two worlds collided: no sword light could be seen, only terrifying power erupting in an instant!
Shhh-shhh-shhh—
Dozens of bloody gashes flashed across Quinn's body; he was wounded in dozens of places and sent flying, crashing into Butcher's shop wall with a thunderous boom. Sword light burst around him, carving a mountain-and-river mural into the wall.
Those were the marks left by Village Chief's single strand of sword light.
"Again!"
Quinn roared, sealing the sword wounds on his body, and charged at Village Chief once more, unleashing Sword Treading the Rivers and Mountains. The next moment, another figure was sent flying, crashing through Grandpa Mark's house in a shower of debris.
The walls around Quinn were still covered in mountain-and-river murals.
Quinn stared, slid down from the wall, applied Dragon Spittle Elixir to his wounds, and after medicating, pondered bitterly. He kept refining Sword Treading the Rivers and Mountains. After a long time, he rose again and charged at Village Chief: "Once more!"
Boom.
The smithy wall now bore a human-shaped imprint, surrounded by a mountain-and-river mural, distinctly different from the patterns on the other walls.
Each time Village Chief struck, the mountain-and-river mural changed.
Inside the smithy, the Mute Smith poked his head out, looked at Quinn, and grinned silently.
Quinn's face darkened. He applied more medicine and continued to rack his brains, eliminating every flaw from his technique and refining his sword form.
"Once more!"
A figure flew back through the towering mountains and rivers, ending up hanging from Deaf's wall.
——Sorry, sorry, a few minutes late.