The Emperor raised his right arm and pinched his chin; thumb under and index above. While his left arm was balled to a fist behind his back.
He scanned at his 'people' looking with interest. As though he was taking a trip to inspect the lives of his common people.
However, the majority of people found nothing wrong with it and could only blankly stare.
"Who are you…?" said an itinerant Sky-Seeking Realm cultivator, floating from afar. There were also a few mumbles around where she was, but none of them with their low cultivations would dare be loud as her.
In fact, the Sky-Seeking Realm cultivator's voice was not at all loud. It was just that the surroundings were relatively silent.
Unfortunately, an Emperor's status meant he was high above this world. He would not entertain or answer such a disrespectful person.
Being ignored, she felt anger and blood rushing to her head. She was a Sky-Seeking Realm cultivator! Besides people of her level, she would always be met with respect. There were probably less than 15 in this city and that was already abnormal. That's because the count included one of the 4 Great Southern Sects - The Li Sect.
Although her mind and heart felt quite uneasy, she continued to try and get her attention. The more she was ignored the louder her voice raised, and she secretly stirred some Qi to cause her voice to get louder.
The people around her were also adding noise to fan the flames, but unlike her they could be barely considered a 1/20th of her voice strength.
However, as they were collectively speaking, they failed to realise that their small overlapping voices were raising the overall volume.
It was now no different to a small cheering squad.
"Senior, I think you should go forward."
"Right, right! Senior Fairy is an expert! What is there to fear?"
"Although the… not simple daoist over there looks strong. He should at least give you some recognition?"
He Fang snorted. She wasn't stupid. These cultivators were urging her to test the waters. She wasn't that afraid. Actually, she enjoyed the feeling of being bathed in attention. The problem was her party of followers? was very obviously not trying to offend Li Cheng.
'He really is too arrogant though. He hadn't even spared me a single glance! What Emperor? The only Emperors I know were the ones leading the Demonic Path and the Great Emperor of the Ming Empire.'
And she didn't believe that he was one of them. With her cultivation, she is able to decipher that there was no demonic energy on him.
'Unless he was a reincarnated Emperor…? Could it be that phenomena was…?'
She hurriedly shook her head and eyed the magnificent robe. Looking at it closely, it really looked like a once in a million years heavenly treasure. 'It must be that. I'm sure of it!'
The greed in her eyes saw mountains of gold and saliva dribbled.
It was very surprising to her that nobody had made a move in spite of it.
Using her Qi, she removed her unsightly blemish.
"Fairy Expert is moving!"
"Senior Fairy!"
"Show us the might of a Sky-Seeking Realm Expert!"
Accompanied by the cheering chants, her speed increased and with confidence. Soon, she had passed the city and had entered the city outskirts; well on her way to snatch the treasure.
Although she looked confident, her heart had become much more uneasy the closer she went. Despite being in the air, the more she looked at him, the more minuscule she felt.
It didn't make any sense!
The fact she couldn't see his cultivation level was also stimulating her fears. But there's no way he was above the Sky-Seeking Realm. Only the old monsters that nobody would dare provoke had reached that realm. He looked too young to be an old monster.
It was when she was about twenty metres away that she had finally crossed eyes with him.
Her whole body turned frozen solid, and her scalp turned numb.
Gazing into his aloof, blue eyes, filled with incomprehensible deepness. She felt the entire world crumble.
'Why the hell did I think this man was young?'
'How could he be so tall?'
'Just wha…'
She had seen the Ming Emperor with her own eyes. But the figure before her was so great that not even ten thousand Ming Emperors could be qualified to be beneath his feet.
It was as if she was right before the Son of Heaven himself from the myths and legends of old.
'He must be the reincarnation of the Son of Heaven!!'
When she saw the Emperor raise his brows high, she felt the hairs of her body shoot straight, and her heart stopped.
"Hiee!!! DON'T KILL ME!!!"
BOOM!
An alarmed mind swallowed in turbulence, and her body shuddering at death's door steps, she panicked and released her most powerful technique.
The explosion caused by a Sky-Seeking Realm cultivator caused all the surrounding cultivators to be pushed back, killing the nearby ones and grievous-wounding those in a realm below.
Those behind her on flying swords in the city also crashed to the ground.
Even those experts at the same level and the Nascent-Soul were tossed by the impact.
Who could have predicted she was so crazy to attack him out of the blue?
Not to mention she went all out and unleashed such a strong technique!
Those quick to respond were still unable to avoid it.
When the billowed sand and dust began to clear, not many people felt surprised.
They saw the Emperor remained rooted, completely unscathed.
Not a speck of rubble or dust from the attack had marred him.
"Son of Heaven…"
"Reincarnated Emperor…"
"God…"
As for the Sky-Seeking Realm woman, He Fang, she was on her back, shivering from the repercussions of her sudden technique, spurting out some blood.
It wasn't something that could be unleashed in two breaths; however, her survival instincts overexerted, thereby unleashing it prematurely.
She also suffered damage to her innards and was in much needed treatment.
However, to her, this was nothing. The only thing that raced in her mind as she leaked tears was the consequences that would occur which were going to be worse than death!
"I am sorry emperor I am sorry emperor I am sorry emperor I am sorry emperor I am sorry emperor I am sorry emperor I am sorry emperor…"
She banged her head on the floor mercilessly in a plea of forgiveness, unperturbed by her injuries worsening and surfacing a new area of blood.
At this rate in spite of her cultivation, she really might die from a sudden concussion.
The Emperor remained mute as the settling winds oscillated the cuffs of the Emperor's robe resting by his sides. The exalted dragons glistened; their splendour transparent in the sandy brown. His posture a pillar.
He was unmoved.
Her cries and desperate attack were futile.
It was as though she had nothing to do with him.
At least that's what everyone thought until they saw him approach her.
***
Slightly before Li Cheng approached her…
'Holy fucking shit! I felt like I almost died there!'
Li Cheng's plan was essentially to shortly reveal himself to the world, be profound, bullshit about how he had just reincarnated, and hope a few arrogant cultivation idiots would test him. Afterwards, he would vanish from their sights, leaving behind cryptic words to further evoke a sense of mystery.
Initially, the response exceeded his expectations — nearly every cultivator stood frozen at the sight of him. By voicing the dramatic flair of the "I have returned" declaration trope, it served not only to pose, but also was a preemptive move to avoid a potential revenge arc. Though not executed flawlessly, this impromptu declaration allowed him to tick off one item from his cultivation bucket list. Once he was confident that everyone had seen him to mask his voice with the perfume, he acted aloof but intrigued, pretending to view the mortal world for the first time in a long time.
At the same time, he made sure to lock eyes with every cultivator present for the perfumes' maximum effect.
He did this carefully and without a rush to avoid any potential miss. The problem was that the people most furthest away were difficult to lock eyes with. Not just because of his position, but also his cultivation.
That was why they were a little unruly.
He didn't lock eyes with the one particular Sky-Seeking Realm cultivator because he wished to taunt her into attacking him. It was daring, but she was following the template of an arrogant expert which would mean he could control her with the palm of his hand. Also, it would be odd for an Emperor to interact with an impudent mortal like her.
He knew that she had to move towards him. That would give him enough time to prepare his amazing counter that would shock the world.
However, what Li Cheng didn't expect was that the perfumes' effect was so potent that she seemed to shit herself thinking he was going to kill her, prompting her to crazily use a powerful technique right off the bat.
He hadn't even made a move yet nor said a word to her!
One should not forget that he was also in his unfathomable state which only intensified the imaginations of her mind.
In reaction, Li Cheng quickly used one of the ready hidden teleportation talismans in the sleeves in his robe, and in his mind he activated the Three Realms Illusion.
However, the speed and power of a cultivator many stages above him was no joke and he was barely caught in the impact.
In the Illusion realm, he was actually sent flying and had to use another talisman in mid-air to hastily return back to his position. The residue power of course surged at him, almost making him cough out blood.
Thankfully, the Demonic Emperor's robe was a true heaven-defying treasure and it reduced the damage that would kill him a hundred times over significantly.
Honestly he was surprised that it couldn't be said he was injured at all. But he knew he wasn't unable to hide his darkened, ugly expression once the word saw him, as well as the debris marred on his body that weren't covered by the robe.
And yet.
Why was most of the world looking at him with signs of awe, admiration, and worship?
Li Cheng believed they would be filled with caution, intention to scheme, unease, and the like.
The image of him was still that perfection of 'Son of Heaven' he showed in the beginning!
But he had hardly done anything worthy of the 'Son of Heaven'. Instead, the exact opposite, showing he was only somewhat strong and made a fool of himself.
If he took a look at his hand mirror, he would definitely take a shower. He had no time to catch his breath to use his cultivation to remove the debris in an instant.
Now, he wasn't sure if he should even do that!
He wanted to refrain from using Qi as much as possible in case the perfumes' potency and unfathomable skill couldn't fully hide his true cultivation level from those monsters.
'This woman… what should I do?'
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Ears squirming to scrunch up, Li Cheng glared grimly as he watched her bang the floor. The ground trembled under his feet and blood puddles began to form. He felt his heart palpitate in fear and his mouth go dry.
'Fucking scary!'
He barely had ounces of desire for payback and was rather terrified of her.
'What should I do?'
Temporarily, he continued to stand still and act like an Emperor as best he could; indifferent to the torturous 'beheading' of an enemy.
'Fucking think!'
As a cultivator, he could enter into the sea of consciousness to think in his mind and be unperturbed by the world. However, he still had to remain alert of his surroundings, and thus was forced to pay attention to the horror film broadcasted in front of him.
'Ah!'
A light bulb lit up above his head.
'Yes! 'Son of Heaven' right? Then this would do.'
First off.
Eyes of the Strongest Sect Master!
[Name: He Fang]
[Cultivation Level: Sky-Seeking Realm Mid-Stage]
[Bloodline: None]
[Talent: A Grade]
'Honestly not bad, considering her cultivation level and that she managed to reach the mid stage. Her talent is also the minimum I'm looking for.'
By saving her, he could let bygones be bygones to instill the image of kindness and magnanimity and make her feel indebted to him. Then recruit a free powerhouse! She is already more than what he could ask for at this stage.
Besides curbing her arrogance that he wasn't too concerned with, there was one big issue that was holding Li Cheng back… she was too susceptible to mind attacks. The perfume certainly was a treasure but wasn't this going a little too far?
'Yes! It will be fine. Not a lunatic… please fucking god.'
Li Cheng continuously prayed to his Father in Heaven and approached her with feathery steps.
During his walk, he had a feeling that the quaking of the ground was increasing in frequency.
Perhaps it is just him overthinking things.
"You may raise your head."
BANG!
The ground quaked with a stifling rumble.
Her head smashed the ground, cemented.
She was no longer moving.