Chapter 370: Why Am I So Strong!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Is there not even a single one that can fight me?
When the crowd heard this, they nearly spat out a mouthful of blood!
Brother, these are puppets that can't be taken out using skill arts!
God knows what kind of maniac weapon you have forged that is so formidable that it can take out the whole lot of them by itself!
Brother, why didn't you go to heaven?
Everybody was silent; they were unable to face Xu Que. They lowered their heads and pretended that they had not heard anything!
The Eldest Prince looked slightly dazed.
The Second Prince's face was ashen.
The Third Prince's mouth was agape.
The Seventh Princess and the rest of the princes were wide-eyed with disbelief. They were unable to react.
Master Zhou and the other weapon forging masters were unable to raise their heads before Xu Que as well.
Previously, when Xu Que had criticised their methods for weapon forging, they had been enraged.
But now they had nothing to say, especially Master Zhou!
He had claimed earlier that he could destroy Xu Que's armor in a single stroke. But Xu Que had proven to everyone that his armor could defeat the golden puppets effortlessly. That was a blow to Master Zhou, whose face had reddened with embarrassment!
Outside the Imperial Tombs, the atmosphere was quiet as well!
Everyone was aghast with shock!
Nobody thought that the metal parts he had been fiddling with could combine together into something so powerful!
"This… this is a good thing! Maybe the mining plans can be achieved in advance!" the Metal Emperor muttered to himself, looking somber and furrowing his brows.
He was aware that if Xu Que was able to break through the ancient armored puppets, there would be new progress with regards to the Imperial Tombs Contest… and there would be hopeful prospects for mining the Dragon Veins!
...
Further away, over at the Empress Dowager's divine chariot, the Empress Dowager was also astounded. Her mouth hung slightly agape!
She had said earlier that Xu Que was just trying to be in the limelight and was just fooling around. She had even claimed that those metal pieces were useless!
But now, it was as if Xu Que had proven her wrong by mercilessly giving her a hard slap in the face!
The Empress Dowager's feelings at this moment could be summed up in one thought—
This is f*cking embarrassing!
...
In fact, Xu Que knew that if his Iron Man suit were to face a cultivator of the Infant Transformation Stage, it would be smashed to pieces in no time!
But the thing was, these puppets were not human!
Both the ancient armored puppets and the golden puppets had no intelligence—they simply attacked any intruder they saw!
Most importantly, the restrictive spells on the puppets were very similar to those Xu Que had come across in Fire Country—they were all created to be strong against the cultivators' skill arts!
When skill arts came into contact with these restrictive spells, they would lose their usefulness. It was even possible that they would turn into spiritual Qi, which could even strengthen the restrictive spells!
The only way to deal with these restrictions was with brute force—and from a distance!
After all, the puppets used long distance attacks as well. Iron Man's energy did not constitute a skill art, but simply a form of energy!
Hence, an accessory like Iron Man or the Transformers would be the best choice for crushing these puppets, as they did not lack in attack power or agility.
When Xu Que had first revealed Iron Man, he had instantly harvested a high amount of Acting Tough Points!
This was definitely a huge act tough effort on his part!
Nevertheless, so far he had only recovered a little over 3,000 points, which was around one fourth of the initial cost. This made him feel bitter!
And so, Xu Que started to clamor for attention.
"Come! All puppets come to me!"
Swoosh! Boom!
A beam of white light shot out from his palm, headed towards a golden puppet. Cracks instant appeared when it was struck. Although it wasn't smashed to pieces, it lost its mobility and was paralysed like a toy that had run out of battery!
"Come on, come at me! I want to fight ten puppets!"
Swoosh! Boom!
"Any more? I'll just ask again, who else is there?"
Swoosh! Boom!
"Is it really so hard to hope for a worthy adversary? I'm so lonely that it's shameful!"
Swoosh! Boom!
"Is it really so hard to find a strong opponent? Heavens, why am I so strong? Why?"
Swoosh! Boom!
...
Xu Que continued taking out the puppets. Each and every golden puppet fell one after another!
As the crowd watched on, their hearts were filled with awe!
"This magical weapon can actually attack endlessly?"
"There is not even the slightest fluctuation of spiritual Qi. Doesn't it need spiritual Qi to activate and power up?"
"Isn't this like a divine chariot? The armor suit can be powered by Soul Strength and used to display such tremendous power!"
"From the looks of it, he's going to… handle this round all by himself!"
Many of them were astounded as they continued to think deeper!
For decades, this round had been unbeatable. But looking at the way that Xu Que was taking out the puppets as if he was harvesting crops… this round could actually be beaten this time!
Outside the Imperial Tombs, the Metal Emperor and the crowd were looking forward to that.
...
Booommm!
However, just as Xu Que destroyed more than half of the golden puppets, a deafening noise suddenly reverberated through the Imperial Tombs!
The ground trembled as if it was about to split!
Lots of rubble was falling inside the burial chamber. The people outside the Imperial Tombs could see that the whole mountain had trembled!
"What's going on?"
"What happened?"
"Could someone have activated a horrible trap?"
Everyone was appalled and looked around vigilantly!
Boom!
Suddenly, another deafening noise was heard and the ground shook violently once more. Some people almost stumbled to the ground as they were unable to keep their balance!
At that moment, everyone felt uneasy.
They could sense a powerful aura approaching them, fast!
Boom!
Another thundering sound was heard, this time closer than before!
Everyone inside the burial chamber held their breaths involuntarily.
Those outside the Imperial Tombs stared intently at the Heaven and Earth Mirror.
They found the source of the deafening sounds coming from the depths of the tomb. There seemed to be a huge shadow rising out of the darkness, knocking into the walls of the tomb and crushing them to bits. It was heading in their direction!
As Xu Que was wearing the Iron Man suit, he could use Iron Man's intelligence system to scan through the layers and layers of walls and locate the source of the thunderous sounds!
"A gigantic golden puppet? Can this be the big boss of the puppets?"
Xu Que was slightly surprised.
Boom!
At this time, one side of the tunnel suddenly exploded in front of the cultivators!
With the collapse of the wall, an enormous golden figure stood in front of everyone.
This enormous golden puppet was more than three meters tall and very huge. The earlier golden puppets looked like dwarfs beside it!
Tsk!
The cultivators gasped, taking in a mouthful of cold air. They were petrified by the sight before them!
To think that such a gigantic golden puppet was actually hidden so deep inside the Imperial Tombs!
Must things go to such an extent?
The Founding Metal Emperors of Metal Nations must have been incredible, to bury such a daunting puppet in order to protect the Imperial Tombs!
The golden puppet before them was not only gigantic in size, but also possessed strength that was equivalent to a Level Five or Six Infant Transformation Stage cultivator!
What did that mean, then?
It meant that this puppet had strength that could contend with the Metal Emperor!
It could also contend with the leader of the Jade Sword Sect!
How could they f*cking fight this thing, then?
"This is no good, run!"
"Run! Don't stop!"
"Young Master Xu, run now!"
"Young Hero Xu, quick, retreat!"
Everyone inside the burial chamber rushed towards the exit like tides of water!
The Seventh Princess and the other princes were amongst the agitated crowd moving towards the exit. They turned around and shouted at Xu Que, telling him to leave the place.
Xu Que was now standing before the tunnel, directly facing the giant puppet!
If that giant golden puppet were to kill someone, its first target would definitely be Xu Que!
"Oh no! Quick, get him out of there! Don't let him die inside!" yelled the Metal Emperor who suddenly stood up outside the Imperial Tombs.
Xu Que was now the king of the elites in his eyes. Hence, the Emperor would not be able to stand seeing him die inside the Imperial Tombs!
However… he could do nothing but shout!
Once the Imperial Tombs Contest started, the restrictive spell had sealed off the exit so nobody could enter from the outside. They could only wait for the people inside to come out by themselves.
"This is bad. Why isn't this guy running?"
"He's probably scared silly by the puppet!"
"Will he die inside there? That giant golden puppet is bad news!"
Many people were frantically shouting.
Contrary to the crowd's expectations, Xu Que had remained calm and indifferent inside the burial chamber!
"What reason is there to run? Didn't I just say that we need to be calm in the face of danger, and that we need to be confident in ourselves?"
Xu Que laughed casually and shook his head. He looked right up at the giant golden puppet before him and sneered. "It's just a bigger version of the other puppets. Can it be more powerful than the Hulk? Well, my apologies then, I happen to have the Hulkbuster Iron Man suit among the 20 different styles available to me! So… come out, Hulkbuster!"
Chapter 371: Do Not Discriminate Against The Puppets
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Booomm!
The Arc Reactor in the center of Xu Que's chest suddenly glowed with blazing bright light!
A surge of energy suddenly filled his entire body!
This was a system-modified version of Iron Man. It was apparently different to the original version of Iron Man; this was a more high-tech and advanced version!
Everyone was taken aback by the sudden energy surge. They could not react, their mouths simply hung agape at what was happening before them…
Clunk! Clunk! Clunk!
A series of mechanical sounds rang in everyone's ears. The metallic suit Xu Que was wearing changed rapidly as if vines were creeping across the whole suit from the Arc Reactor. The size of the suit also grew significantly bigger.
In just a few seconds, the Iron Man suit had transformed into an enlarged version… the Hulkbuster style!
"F*ck!"
Everyone watching was in shock. Their eyes nearly popped out!
This was because they had seen how Xu Que had assembled the small pieces of metal earlier. This sudden transformation was too alarming for them.
Just those small pieces of metal alone were able to deliver so many surprises. Firstly, Xu Que's body had become fully covered by the metallic armor. Then the suit had enlarged; it was now three meters tall. There was not much difference between it and the gigantic golden puppet!
"This is too powerful! Such an equipment forging method is simply magnificent and out of this world!"
"Although it still doesn't look as powerful to us because such armor is considered fragile, it should be a strong nemesis for the puppets!"
"No, no, no, although this armor is really weak, let's not overlook the white beam of light that had fired at the puppets. I could feel that the white beam of light would have also been life-threatening to us as well!"
"This is really marvellous! I didn't know that such a magical weapon existed in this world!"
"What's so strange about that? Take for instance the divine chariots. Only us, the Metal Nation, have them!"
"Looks like the Exploding Heavens Faction is really impressive!"
...
The group was discussing amongst themselves. They gradually stopped moving, and were no longer feeling confused.
Xu Que's Hulkbuster transformation had calmed many of them down.
After all, such a display of prowess had given them a strong boost of confidence.
Ding! "Congratulations to host 'Xu Que' for successfully acting tough. The reward is 310 Acting Tough Points!"
Ding! "Congratulations to host 'Xu Que' for successfully acting tough. The reward is 330 Acting Tough Points!"
...
Xu Que was gladdened by his effect as well, as system notifications kept ringing in his head.
"Hoho, seems like the transformation has brought good results. I've earned a lot of Acting Tough Points!"
He was rejoicing inside his mind.
However, the gigantic golden puppet opposite him was not to be underestimated either.
Xu Que did not let his guard down even though he had been destroying the other puppets with one blast. He could sense that the giant golden puppet was not only got bigger in size, but was also exerting an invisible pressure that made him feel serious as well.
But he didn't want to waste too much time on this giant golden puppet either.
"System, activate the laser beam cannon to slice that puppet up, and end this battle fast!" Xu Que issued a command to System.
Ding! "The laser beam cannon will be fully activated 60 seconds from now…"
What the...? There's still a countdown timer for this? he thought. Fine, fine, 60 seconds, so be it!
Xu Que's mouth twitched but he continued to stand at the entrance of the tunnel and faced the giant golden puppet, unfazed. "Come on big guy, I'll give myself a handicap for this fight. I'll fight you with one hand!"
With that, Xu Que placed a metallic hand behind his back. It was as if he really meant what he had said.
Everyone almost fainted when they heard that.
Brother, why did you f*cking give yourself a handicap?
Do you think the puppet needs that?
More importantly, that giant golden puppet does not have a mind of its own. Whether you have a handicap or not, it's coming for you, alright?
Can you please be serious and use both hands?
"Young Master Xu, do not treat this lightly!" reminded the Seventh Princess.
The Third Prince chimed in as well, "Young Hero Xu, maybe you want to use a magical weapon to make up for the handicap?"
"Yes, Young Hero Xu, that's a puppet equivalent to a cultivator of the Level Six or Seven Infant Transformation Stage. It's really strong!"
"Don't handicap yourself! Go all out!"
The other princes also tried to persuade Xu Que to rethink his decision.
After all, the results of the battle would also be crucial to them as their lives were all at stake as well.
The crowd outside the Imperial Tombs were getting pins and needles. They wished they could get into the tombs and give Xu Que a good thrashing.
You f*cking want to handicap yourself at a time like this?! Are you trying to kill yourself?
However, Xu Que was surprisingly calm and composed, watching the giant golden puppet walk step by step towards him. "A puppet is still a life. We can't discriminate against them." Xu Que shook his head. "They don't have a mind of their own. Only by giving myself a handicap will it be a fair fight!"
The crowd felt like coughing out blood when they heard that.
Can't discriminate against puppets?
So who's the one who kept saying that these puppets are ugly?
In addition, the giant puppet is as powerful as a Level Six or Seven Infant Transformation Stage cultivator. Why do you need to a handicap yourself? Even if it has no mind of its own, you may not necessarily be a match for it, alright?
"Young Master Xu, please do your best!" implored the anxious Seventh Princess.
"Young Hero Xu, don't be like this," urged the Third Prince. "Use both hands, quick!"
"Young Hero Xu, don't be reckless!"
The group tried to persuade him as well.
Xu Que could not take it and nodded his head. "Alright then," he sighed, "I'll use both hands but I'll change the handicap to me noy being able to use a leg then."
When Xu Que said that he would use both hands, everyone still did not feel relieved, as he was still going to handicap himself by not using a leg instead. They almost puked out blood once again.
You still want a handicap?
D*mn! Can't you just do your best?
"Young Hero Xu, why do you have to be courteous to these puppets?" said a prince solemnly with a hint of anger. "They do not have a brain and moreover, you've destroyed so many of them already. Is there really a need to do this?"
Xu Que shook his head lightly. "This is because my path of the strong focuses on one word... fairness!"
"Ah?" Everyone was stunned.
Fairness? Are you kidding me?
"All things have a spirit; flowers and plants have life, let alone these puppets," continued Xu Que righteously. "Moreover, as a member of the Exploding Heavens Faction, we do not bully the weak. We uphold 'Justice', 'Fairness' and 'Transparency'. This is also known as the Three Rights!"
Booommm!
At this time, the giant golden puppet had gotten very close.
Everyone felt a chill run down their spines.
The giant puppet is right before you yet you are still bullsh*tting about the f*cking 'Three Rights'?
Can't you just put up a good fight?
The enemy is up close already and here you are, still dicking around. That's the greatest form of discrimination towards an enemy. You're not respecting your opponent!
"Forget it! Looking at your dazed faces, I know nobody understands what I'm talking about! I've decided that I'll not use either my hands or legs so we can have a hearty battle! Come on big guy, let me see your strength!" shouted Xu Que in a mighty manner!
Everyone was scared silly!
F*ck!
You won't use your hands or legs? How are you going to fight it then? Will you use your head to knock it down?
"Finally I've met a powerful opponent," said Xu Que loudly, not moving an inch even though the puppet made its way towards him. "I've been looking for a battle like this for a long time!"
At the same time, the giant golden puppet's chest also started to light up. An eerie aura started to fill the burial chamber.
The puppet's skill art was about to be unleashed.
Everyone's faces changed abruptly again.
"This is bad!"
"Young Hero Xu! Dodge!"
"Why won't you attack? If you don't attack, how can this battle be fair? You're courting death!"
Everyone was shouting in anxiety and fear.
However, in the nick of time, a system notification rang in his head!
"The laser beam cannon is now ready. Do you want to launch it now?"
"Yes!" Xu Que replied without further delay.
Ommm!
In an instant, a somewhat high-pitched sound was heard. His Arc Reactor on his chest turned to a shade of red. A red ray of light at an extremely high temperature instantly shot out of his chest, whizzing right towards the giant golden puppet!
Chapter 372: Line Up! Let's Go
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Boom!
Xu Que stood still and motionless. His armor suit had shot out a red beam of light that had hit the giant golden puppet!
The powerful, high temperature beam instantly melted the outer shell of the puppet and gradually penetrated its surface!
Tuomp!
The giant golden puppet fell out of the air and onto the ground, and stopped moving. The light coming from the attack that had been about to burst from its chest had now dimmed.
Everyone was startled!
What is the situation?
The giant golden puppet… why did it suddenly stop?
Everyone was puzzled. As their view had been blocked by Xu Que in his Iron Man suit, they were unable to understand what exactly had happened to the golden puppet.
Clang!
Just then, the sound of a heavy object fell to the ground.
That made everyone look solemn. They thought the circumstances might be dire due to all the noise. They thought that perhaps the gold puppet had attacked again!
However, the situation was not what they had expected!
After the initial crash, nothing was heard from the tunnel again.
Soon, they saw Xu Que's huge steel body start to regroup, piece by piece.
Clang! Clang!
The metal pieces started to diminish in size, and the armor suit returned to its initial form.
Now that Xu Que's size had returned to its original, the cultivators finally saw what had happened.
At that moment, everyone gasped. They were all stunned!
The giant golden puppet, a creature that had been invincible in their eyes, had been cut in two halves from the chest. The cut was clean and there were plumes of white smoke emitting from it. Its entire shoulder and head had fallen into a corner on the ground!
With that, everyone now understood that the heavy sound of crashing metal from earlier had been the sound of its head falling to the ground. Xu Que was not being attacked at all!
Everyone glanced at Xu Que's back view, surprised and fazed. They could not believe their eyes!
"How… how did he do it?"
"I swear he didn't even move an inch. How could he have destroyed the giant golden puppet so effortlessly?"
"This is too much for me. What has he done to achieve this?"
...
Everyone was overwhelmed and dazed. They were reminded of what Xu Que had previously said about not using all four limbs so as to seek a fair battle!
From the looks of it now, even though he had not used all four limbs, the battle still hadn't been fair!
You took the puppet out with just one strike. Such strength! How can this be a fair fight…
Outside the Imperial Tombs, the bulk of the crowd had seen clearly everything that had happened in the Heaven and Earth Mirror!
They had seen a red beam of light emit from the chest of Xu Que like a long, slender sword. It had sliced through the body of the giant golden puppet in one clean, effective cut!
That horrifying red light had appalled everyone out there!
However, the Metal Emperor and some of the others were delighted. There was a gleam in their eyes!
With that giant golden puppet taken out, that also meant that they could progress to the next round!
In just one day, and due to Xu Que alone, the second round of the ancient armored puppets—something that had blocked their advance for decades—had just been conquered!
"Looks like… we are not too far from success!" The Metal Emperor's heart began to stir with excitement!
Over the years, he had tried countless ways of excavating the Dragon Veins, but to no avail.
He had never thought that his plan might succeed due to Xu Que alone. This made it difficult for him to suppress the excitement in his heart.
...
Meanwhile, inside the burial chamber, the Seventh Princess, the Third Prince and all the others came out of their dazes.
Only then did they realize that it was difficult to estimate the scores for that round due to Xu Que's methods for taking out the puppets.
But this also certainly meant that the Third Prince had taken first place for the round as well, a ranking that no one would be able to surpass.
He had successfully secured the position of Crown Prince!
"Young Hero Xu, this prince will remember your help for life! In future if you need anything, just let me know. I'll do my best to repay your favor!" promised the Third Prince.
Xu Que, who was still wearing his Iron Man suit, turned around and said casually, "actually, I have a very simple request. I know the Metal Nation wants to mine the Dragon Veins which lie deep inside the tombs. My goal is also to go deep inside the tombs, but I don't want the Dragon Veins. Instead, I want a spiritual herb that grows in there. I hope you won't fight against me for them, or you will regret it!"
"The spiritual herb inside the Dragon Veins? Do you mean the Genesis Metal Herbs?"
The Third Prince and the rest of crowd thought for a moment.
They had heard of the spiritual herb but they had never seen it before.
As Xu Que had specifically asked for this spiritual herb, this had escalated to a big issue!
The Third Prince was caught in a predicament as this was not something that he could decide!
Xu Que saw the Third Prince's expression and couldn't help shaking his head. "Don't think too much about it. I'm not asking for your approval. I'm just informing you that the spiritual herb is mine!"
Woah!
Everyone inside and outside the Imperial Tombs started to chatter and exclaim.
Cool!
This is too cool!
Saying such words in front of so many people, even in the face of the Emperor and the princes! As the saying goes, when one is powerful enough, one is bolder as well!
Unexpectedly, the Metal Emperor did not get angry. Instead, after pondering for a while, he gave a cryptic smile and said nothing.
From his perspective, the Dragon Veins were more important than the spiritual herb.
He was not that concerned over the Imperial Family's pride.
In his opinion, if there had been no Xu Que, the Dragon Veins would have likely remained untouched for another few decades.
...
"Why are all of you still in a daze? Hurry up, line up and enter the tombs with me!"
Inside the burial chamber, Xu Que activated his suit and began to float in mid-air. He flew towards the tunnel.
When everyone heard his words, the corners of their mouths twitched.
Damn! Why are you ordering us around?
Why must we line up and enter the tombs with you?
Don't think we have to listen to you just because you took out all those puppets!
Most people felt resentful, especially the Second Prince and his team. They all wore gloomy expressions.
Nonetheless…
In the end, they still queued up to enter the main tomb!
The tunnel was not so big that it would allow a large group of people to enter it in one go. As a result, they had to queue in order to advance deeper into the tombs.
Pfft!
The Seventh Princess tried hard to stifle her chuckle when she saw the disgruntled group of people queuing up to enter the tombs. Her beautiful eyes flicked over to Xu Que, who was walking right in front. She smiled to herself. Young Master Xu is such an interesting person!
The princess and her brothers also stepped into the tunnel.
As Xu Que was in the lead, he took out all the remaining puppets guarding the tomb. Every one of them was destroyed with just one strike.
While passing through the tunnel, everyone was stunned once again. They did not need to do anything but watch as he took them out.
When they reached the end of the tunnel, just as Xu Que was about to take a step over the threshold, the Third Prince suddenly gave a shout. "Young Hero Xu, please wait!"
"What happened?" Xu Que paused and turned around.
"According to our map, the next round features a terrible restrictive enchantment and lot of traps," said the Third Prince in a low voice. "Isn't it better to stop, observe and consider the situation first?"
The rest of the people nodded their heads. The map of the Imperial Tombs had been made public before, so they knew all about the challenges that they would be facing.
The next round should involve a scary restrictive enchantment that would have been potent enough to kill an Infant Transformation Stage cultivator.
When Xu Que heard that, he was puzzled.
This was because he was standing right at the front, meaning he could clearly see the situation in the next burial chamber.
The burial chamber before him did not contain a restrictive enchantment. Not only that, but it was, in actual fact, a mess!
Chapter 373: The Formidable Young Hero Xu!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Erm…"
Xu Que was stumped for a few seconds.
The burial chamber before him was visibly a mess.
Many fresh traces on the ground indicated that a fight had recently taken place within!
And in one corner of the chamber wall, several paw prints could clearly be seen. They looked like the paw prints of a dog.
F*ck! Xu Que cursed in his mind.
Besides that f*cking Buttface, who else could have created this mess?
It can only be Buttface!
This dog must have entered this place earlier. He surely had his own means. And not only did he successfully pass through the round of armored puppets, he also broke the restrictive enchantments here as well. That's really incredible!
"Young Hero Xu, let us discuss our strategy. From what I understand, in order to break the restrictive spell, we need ten cultivators who have the ability to move with speed and agility, coupled with a tacit understanding between them. Only then will the spell be broken!"
"Yes, and no mistakes are allowed. Otherwise, all ten of them will suffer the pain of tens of thousands of swords piercing their hearts. They will die on the spot!"
The voices of the Third Prince and his group were heard as they explained how to break the restrictive spell.
As the group was all standing behind Xu Que who was clad in his Iron Man suit, they were unable to see what had happened in the burial chamber. They were wearing solemn expressions and were wondering how to break the spell without anyone getting hurt.
Xu Que raised an eyebrow and waved his hand. He said heroically, "this is just a small restrictive spell. There's no need to be afraid! Didn't I say earlier that one should not back off when one encounters problems, but instead face the problem fearlessly! This type of common restrictive spell can be broken with a single strike from me!"
"Huh?"
The group behind him felt really worried when they heard that.
The Third Prince and his group hurriedly tried to convince Xu Que otherwise. "Young Hero Xu, you can't be reckless about this!"
"Yes, this restrictive spell was cast by our ancestors, the previous reigning Emperors of the Metal Nation. Even if His Majesty were here, he would likely not be able to get away unscathed either!"
"Exactly! When we step into the area affected by the restrictive spell, there will be tens of thousands of swords coming right at us at an astounding speed. That is impossible to defend against effectively!"
"Young Master Xu, come back. Let us come up with a good plan!" urged the Seventh Princess anxiously.
Xu Que waved his hand and shook his head. "Don't worry, this kind of restrictive spell is nothing to me. Everyone, relax!"
After that, he stepped forward so he was one step closer to the end of the tunnel.
Woah!
Most of the group behind instinctively exclaimed.
"Young Hero Xu, don't stand too close to the front. It's dangerous!"
"Yes, Young Master Xu, don't be rash. We still have a lot of time, there's no need to rush!"
"Come back quickly, Young Hero Xu!"
The Third Prince and his group attempted to make Xu Que change his mind. They were fearful that Xu Que might die because of the restrictive spell.
On the other hand, the Second Prince and his group curled their lips up and sniggered.
"Some people just don't know what's good for them. Don't think that by breaking the round of puppets, you'll be able to break this powerful restrictive enchantment as well!"
"A greedy person is like a snake that tries to swallow an elephant. Since someone wants to try his luck, what's the point of dissuading him?"
"That's right. If he wants to die, just leave him be!"
"Xu Que, why are you not going out now? Are you afraid?"
The Second Prince was the loudest amongst them. His face was filled with scorn.
However, Xu Que lifted his Iron Man arm slowly and aimed towards the burial chamber in front. "I've said," laughed Xu Que indifferently, "this kind of restrictive spell can be broken in one strike!"
With that, his palm started to shine brightly with white light!
Swoosh!
A beam of light headed towards the burial chamber.
With a loud explosion, the beam of light hit a corner of the burial chamber. It didn't create much damage, the dog paw prints at that corner was the only thing that got destroyed.
After all, the walls of the Imperial Tombs had been strengthened by the engravings of rune words on the walls.
Although the Iron Man was really a wonderful and dashing existence, its powers simply could not match up to the cultivation world. It managed to defeat the armored puppets easily as the powers of the Iron Man happened to be their sole, fatal weakness – there's always one thing to conquer another!
As for the second burial chamber, the restrictive enchantment was already broken by Buttface. Xu Que simply pretended that he was the one who broke the spell. There was no need to destroy anything else since the spell had been broken.
Nobody could see what Xu Que had done, as they were all behind and blocked by him.
They only knew that Xu Que had attacked with only one strike. And then, there was a loud explosion. After that, there was only silence.
At this time, Xu Que smiled pleasantly, "It's okay now. The spell has been broken. Everyone queue up and follow me to the next checkpoint."
When he finished speaking, Xu Que started to walk forward.
"Young hero Xu, no…"
The Third Prince and his group was appalled and shouted.
But before they could finish their sentence, everyone was dumbfounded.
Xu Que took big strides with his Iron Man suit stepping into the burial chamber and was perfectly fine. There was no restrictive spell at all. It was totally calm and peaceful!
All of a sudden, everyone was shocked:
How… how is this possible?
With just one strike, the restrictive spells casted by our previous reigning Emperors got destroyed?
This is called overpowered, right?
"Young hero Xu, you're fantastic!"
"We didn't know that young hero Xu is actually so brave and heroic. We have misjudged you!"
"Young hero Xu not only mastered the skill of controlling the divine chariots, his skills of magical weapon forging have also attained the peak of perfection. We didn't expect his ability to break restrictive spells could be so unfathomable either!
"Geniuses like young hero Xu is the indeed the role model of our generation!"
"Awesome, too wonderful!"
At that moment, most of them were filled emotion and marveled at Xu Que's strength!
After all, Xu Que's previous achievements had left them directly immersed in shock and had no energy to question if what he did this time was reasonable or not.
However, the crowd outside the Imperial Tombs had seen everything clearly.
Through the heaven and earth mirror, they saw the condition of the burial chamber as well as what Xu Que had done.
Before Xu Que fired a shot, they had already realised that the restrictive spell had already been broken. When Xu Que pretended to have broken the spell, everyone out there knew he was lying:
"Hmph, this Xu Que is really of shady character. He actually deceived the princes!"
"What he did is really despicable!"
"What kind of person did the Third Prince invite?"
"Precisely! Previously I saw from another heaven and earth mirror that it was a dog, not sure where it came from, that destroyed the restrictive enchantment!"
Many people were shaking their heads and were showing disdain towards Xu Que.
But at this moment, some of the people who saw Xu Que selling smelly tofu stood up and sneered, "You frogs in a well, don't you know that the dog you saw is actually young hero Xu's pet?"
"Obviously young hero Xu has foresight to let his dog clear the way by destroying the restrictive spell first then follow up by another strike. That was actually the finishing touch!"
"He's right. Young hero Xu is really the role model of our generation. Even his pet is so strong, let alone himself?"
"Are you sure? That dog is actually young hero Xu's pet?"
"No wonder it's so powerful!"
"We have misjudged indeed. Everyone, please do not take it to heart!"
In no time, the crowd outside the Imperial Tombs were full of admiration towards Xu Que!
Meanwhile, Xu Que continued to advance deeper into the tomb and system notifications were constantly ringing in his head.
Ding! "Congratulations to host 'Xu Que' for successfully acting tough. The reward is 320 Acting Tough Points!"
Ding! "Congratulations to host 'Xu Que' for successfully acting tough. The reward is 350 Acting Tough Points!"
...
Ever since he exchanged and rented the Iron Man suit, his Acting Tough Points had been increasing steadily. Now Xu Que had almost recovered back his cost.
However, as they progressed deeper into the tomb, besides the first round where Xu Que took down all the puppets, he and the group had not met any other obstacles.
As they went deeper, whenever there was a checkpoint the group knew that indicated danger, there would be someone who would alert Xu Que to be careful.
Nonetheless, all the restrictive spells and traps had already been taken care of by Buttface.
As for Xu Que, he would not let any opportunity that allowed him to act tough to slip by. He would just pretend like what he did over at the second burial chamber with a shout, 'I can break it with just one single strike', followed by firing a beam of light. After that, under the respectful gazes of the group of cultivators, he would progress forward, taking big strides with a mighty aura.
Until finally, the group made it to the lowest level of the Imperial Tombs in just one day, stopping in front of a huge stone door.
Chapter 374: Why Can't I Eat It?
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The stone door was huge, standing at about two meters long and four meters high. It looked like it had merged with the stone wall.
The door was inscribed with runes which, from afar, resembled countless tadpoles. A daunting aura exuded from these ancient yet simple inscriptions!
Xu Que stood in front of the stone door, his eyebrows slightly raised.
The door was already ajar and it could allow for one person to pass through it at a time. Clearly, this meant that Buttface was one step ahead.
But beyond the stone wall, things looked as calm and still as water. There was no movement. This made him feel ill at ease.
"Eh? Why is the stone wall ajar?"
Just then, the crowd behind him saw that the stone door was already opened and was very surprised.
"According to the map, this door can only be opened when the rune combination is cracked."
"Young Hero Xu, did you open the door? Are you that fast?"
"Hmm, is that really the case? If Young Hero Xu had opened the stone door, how come we heard no sound?"
The puzzled group of people looked at Xu Que with doubt.
Xu Que immediately curled up his lips and turned around, facing all of them. "It's true that I opened this door. The inscriptions on the stone door couldn't stop me at all. Moreover, I only used 80 percent of my strength and I pushed the door open faster than the speed of sound. So, naturally, none of you heard it."
"Faster than the speed of sound? But it's still weird to not hear anything," voiced someone who was mulling over this.
Xu Que immediately glared daggers at the person. "What do you know? Don't think you understand how we, the Exploding Heavens Faction, raid tombs. We have a special way of opening this type of door silently with barely any movement. If we created a scene just by opening a door, how could we call it tomb raiding? We might as well just call it archaeology!"
"Uh… Young Hero Xu is right!" All of the cultivators were frozen for a second and hurriedly nodded their heads in agreement, unable to refute the argument.
"Come on, the Dragon Veins should be in there, follow closely."
Xu Que gestured for everyone to follow. He led the group, one by one, through the door.
Behind the stone door was a huge, glittering, magma cave. The inside was filled with natural, shiny, metallic minerals.
There were more than ten smaller tunnels. Nobody knew where they would lead to. Each tunnel was as dark as the night, so it was difficult to make out where they would end.
When everyone saw the smaller tunnels, they all looked serious and deep in thought.
"These passages are not marked on the map. Obviously, the previous deceased Emperors deliberately decided not to mark it!"
"One of the tunnels must lead to the Dragon Veins. That means the rest of the tunnels will be very dangerous!"
"It's not easy to tell which tunnel is the correct one!"
Everyone started to feel distressed.
Some of them glanced at Xu Que, as he had been leading them, which had made them feel reliant on Xu Que for solutions and decision making.
This was especially evident for the Third Prince, Seventh Princess and their group. They totally viewed Xu Que as their leader, following his opinions.
"Young Master Xu, do you think we can crack this? Which one should we take?" the Seventh Princess asked softly as she came over to Xu Que.
Xu Que smiled. "This is too easy. I just need to make a prediction using my fingers!"
He was already equipped with geomancy skills as he had purchased the knowledge of various famous tomb raiders whilst raiding the Imperial Tombs of the Fire Nations. It was therefore not difficult to identify the real tunnel.
However when everyone heard that, they were astonished again.
F*ck! You also know this skill?
Just using your fingers to predict?
There are so many tunnels, how are you going to use your fingers to represent them? Have you really raided tombs before?
Swoosh!
Suddenly, Xu Que stepped out and starting moving his fingers and chanting. "Looking for the dragon curling within the mountains, every twist and turn becomes a test, each test is like a set of eight dangerous and risky trials, but the yin yang eight diagrams will not appear!"
Just as he finished his chant, his finger extended outwards, pointing at a tunnel.
The corner of his lips curled upwards. "This is the one!"
The whole crowd stayed frozen.
D*mn it, just like that?
It's that easy to find the correct tunnel?
Looking for the dragon curling within the mountains?
That sounds too cryptic. How did you calculate and work out the right tunnel?
The Seventh Princess and the Third Prince were staring with their eyes wide open. They had not expected Xu Que to know about geomancy and predictions.
Outside the Imperial Tombs, everyone was astounded as well.
"Looking for the dragon curling within the mountains, every twist and turn becomes a test! Awesome, really awesome!"
"This Young Hero Xu must have some background!"
"Seems like we really need to go find out who founded the Exploding Heavens Faction."
...
The Empress Dowager who was inside her divine chariot communicated to her son, the Emperor, via Soul Strength. "My son, where exactly did this boy come from?"
The Metal Emperor was unable to give an answer. He replied with a bitter face, "Mother, I have sent out men to investigate. The scouts we sent to the four nations happen to be on their way back and will reach the Imperial Tombs soon!"
"Hmm!" The Empress Dowager acknowledged the reply and did not ask anything else!
...
Meanwhile, Xu Que had led the group into the tunnel.
As they advanced through the tunnel, Xu Que found some paw prints and the claw marks of a dog inside. Apparently, Buttface had taken the same tunnel as well.
There were some traces of fighting that seemed to have been caused by traps that had been sprung.
This convinced Xu Que that Buttface was definitely of extraordinary origins!
All this time, Buttface had managed to crack all the restrictive enchantments and know exactly where to go. That dog was certainly not as weak as he seemed!
The crowd went deeper into the tunnel.
In no time, they finally reached the end of the tunnel.
"Owww!"
A familiar sound was heard.
Xu Que's mouth suddenly twitched and he darted forward, wasting no time.
The group quickly followed as well and exited the tunnel fast… only to be welcomed by another scene that made them dumbfounded.
They saw a big black and white dog, with a face full of surprise and excitement, squatting on the floor. He was about to put a glittering spiritual herb into its mouth.
Swish!
At that critical moment, a figure rushed right at the dog. It was Xu Que.
He was so fast that he resembled a flash of black lightning that had suddenly appeared in front of Buttface.
He lifted up his mechanical arm and slapped Buttface right in the face.
Piak!
The crisp sound was immediately heard.
Buttface was sent flying, but he still held on to the spiritual herb relentlessly. He stared at Xu Que, extremely shocked by what had happened.
"How dare you f*cking try to eat that!" Xu Que was enraged.
All the cultivators present were in a daze now due to shock.
So this is how Young Hero Xu disciplines his pet!
No wonder that dog is so powerful! It must be because of Young Hero Xu's teaching methods!
Boom!
Buttface fell to the ground, his face full of annoyance. "F*ck! What do you want? I relied on myself to get this herb. Why can't I eat it?"
"You're a f*cking dog, you should eat sh*t!" shouted Xu Que. "You want to eat the herb? Why? Is this the kind of spiritual herb you can eat? Bring it to me quickly!"
He had come to the Metal Nation because of the Genesis Metal Herb. Now Buttface had beaten him to it and had almost eaten it. It was no wonder that he was infuriated!
Buttface responded acrimoniously, "this deity is a wolf, why can't I have the right to eat it? Hmm…"
He was halfway through his sentence when suddenly, he paused, and looked at Xu Que's Iron Man suit fervently with great interest. "Boy, what are you wearing? Or… this deity shall trade this herb for your suit?"
"No f*cking trade, hurry up and give me the spiritual herb or I'll really feed you sh*t!" said Xu Que impatiently.
"Hmph, young man, don't take it too far. This deity is the descendant of the Magic Dragon after all. You really think you can threaten me? Either trade me the suit you are wearing now or one hundred pots of stinky tofu. You choose!"
Buttface could tell that this herb was especially important to Xu Que, and thus felt fearless.
Xu Que narrowed his eyes. "Seems like you're asking for a beating. You really want me to get the Sword Spirit to teach you a lesson?"
"Don't use the Sword Spirit to scare me. If you don't trade with me for this herb, this deity will definitely not hand it over." Buttface was rather terrified at the mention of the Sword Spirit, but his attitude was still firm.
Xu Que was irritated and was about to call out the Sword Spirit through System to teach Buttface a lesson.
But before he did that, he suddenly saw a new item that was selling in the System Store. It was a Golden Dog Collar!
[Golden Dog Collar]:
A collar that has the same effect as the Golden Circlet. It can be used on demonic beasts. Its size can be freely modified via spell arts! (Note: This item is especially tempting for canine types of demonic beasts and your control of them will be strengthened.)
Durability: 100
Price: 1,000 Acting Tough Points
Chapter 375: Will You Obey Me Or Not?
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Heh, Golden Dog Collar?"
A sinister plan came to mind. Xu Que's lips curled up into a smirk.
He immediately exchanged for the Golden Dog Collar, spending 1,000 Acting Tough Points. Although the durability would decrease with time, Xu Que did not find the item expensive!
This was because this thing had the same effect as the Golden Circlet, which had been used to fool Sun Wu Kong, the Monkey King.
All he needed to do was chant a spell to control the size of the collar. This was no different from the Incantation of the Golden Circlet. This item was simply a treasure!
The only flaw was, the beast had to put it on willingly of its own accord, otherwise there would not be any effect…
"Boy, how is it? Are you going to trade with me or not? If you're not exchanging, this deity is going to eat this plant!" clamored Buttface as he sat on the ground, leaning against the wall with his legs crossed.
All those watching the scene were somewhat bemused.
Is that really a f*cking pet?
Why does it behave so haughtily?
It makes me feel like giving it a good thrashing…
Everyone thought for a while and felt that this dog was really too unique. But after a bit of pondering, they no longer felt confused or stunned by the dog's behaviour.
After all, there was a saying that the dog would take after its master! Xu Que was incredibly arrogant—his pet would of course behave just as arrogantly as him!
"So are you willing to trade or not? If you want to, shout 666!" Buttface continued to speak in a haughty tone.
"I'll trade, of course I will. You want the Iron Man suit right? Okay, no problem!"
Xu Que wore a smiling expression but he was sneering with contempt inside!
You act arrogant now, but you're going to cry later!
...
Swish!
Xu Que stored the Iron Man suit into his system inventory. At the same time, he pulled out the Golden Dog Collar that he had just obtained!
As he had purposely done all of this swiftly, everyone thought that the Iron Man suit had simply turned into a golden leather collar the moment he took it off.
That golden leather collar was carved with inscriptions and embedded with golden tangerines, looking very strange!
"Take it, wear it, and you can instantly become Iron Man!" Xu Que waved the collar in front of Buttface.
It was uncertain if Buttface had mistaken the collar to be the Iron Man suit or if the collar's irresistible effect against canine type beasts had taken effect, but Buttface looked at the collar greedily. His tongue hung out on one side of his now agape mouth and his face was full of excitement.
"Come, boy, throw it over," exclaimed Buttface in agitated excitement. "The plant will be given to you after this deity has tested it!"
Xu Que raised an eyebrow and stared at Buttface. "F*ck, if I give this to you first, it will be equivalent to throwing a meat-stuffed bun at a dog—one will never get back what has been given away. Just cut the crap, we'll hand over the items together. Hurry up and come over here now!"
"D*mn, this deity is not a dog but a noble wolf!" Buttface cursed. Ultimately he could not resist the temptation. He stood up and walked towards Xu Que like a human.
Xu Que narrowed his eyes and held the Golden Dog Collar tightly. He wore an expression of reluctance, as if he did not want to part with the collar.
Buttface saw that look of reluctance on Xu Que's face and immediately put on a complacent smile. "Heh, heh, boy, don't feel bad. By trading this plant for your suit, this deity is also suffering a loss!"
"Hmph, don't act like you're suffering losses when you're clearly at an advantage," snorted Xu Que coldly. "If this herb were not of use to me, I wouldn't be willing to trade for it with such a precious magical weapon!"
The group of cultivators witnessing this scene also felt heart-ache for Xu Que.
The prowess of the Iron Man suit was obvious to all. Xu Que had taken down so many puppets singlehandedly wearing that suit. It had also broken the restrictive spells in one strike. Everyone felt that it was no doubt a supreme magical weapon.
Now that this magical weapon was about to become the property of a dog, everyone felt that it was a great pity!
"Ah, what a waste of such a good item!"
"What a pity!"
"No choice, this dog is Young Hero Xu's pet after all. But Young Hero Xu really is spoiling and indulging his dog too much!"
"I agree! This dog is too arrogant. What a temper he has! Young Hero Xu shouldn't spoil it anymore!"
"Yes, if pets are disobedient, they need to be disciplined!"
The crowd shook their heads and whispered amongst themselves.
Buttface had fine hearing and heard everything that the cultivators had said. "Damn, all of you are pets, all of your families are pets!" Buttface flared up in anger.
"Buttface, why do you curse all the time?" frowned Xu Que. "Can't you be more civilised? Ever heard of the phrase, 'cursing out loud brings temporary joy, but the whole family will be burnt to death'?
Pfftt!
The crowd could not help but burst out laughing.
Cursing out loud brings temporary joy, but the whole family will be burnt to death?
Haha, this is too f*cking vicious!
Young Hero Xu is indeed talented!
...
But Buttface took a longer time to react and when he realised what Xu Que had meant, he replied curtly, "stop jabbering, hurry up, trade and go!"
As he spoke, he extended both paws, one containing the Genesis Metal Herb and the other empty and waiting for Xu Que to hand over his 'magical weapon'.
Xu Que displayed some unwillingness again, with acting abilities that could score full marks. He looked like a man who was full of heartache as he handed the collar to Buttface.
Buttface did not play any tricks either. Man and dog completed the exchange smoothly and successfully.
Shoosh!
Xu Que stored the Genesis Metal Herb in his system inventory without hesitation. He immediately made a desperate gesture, as if he was trying to snatch back the collar.
Buttface seemed to have anticipated such a move from Xu Que and immediately gave a cackle. "Hahaha, young man, you're too young. You want to take back the exchanged item? There's no way you can do so as this deity has already seen through you!"
He gazed intently at the Golden Dog Collar in his hands, getting more excited as he did so. "Hehehe, this deity has finally gotten hold of a treasure. Boy, you'll be shouting 666 soon!"
Instantaneously as he finished speaking, Buttface put the Golden Dog Collar right around his neck. It fit him perfectly.
"Hey boy, look! Does this deity look brilliantly mighty? This is really a nice treasure. Look at how fitting it is on me! It's like it was custom-made for this deity… Eh, boy, what are you laughing at? Why are you smiling in such a treacherous way?"
Buttface had been proudly showing off when he lifted his head and saw Xu Que's evil grin. Buttface's heart skipped at beat at that instant!
"Boy, what have you done?" asked a suspicious Buttface, trying to remove the Golden Dog Collar with his two paws.
That action made Buttface's expression turn to one of shock. "F*ck, boy, what did you do? This thing cannot be removed now!"
Buttface strained his energy to remove the leather collar but the collar did not move a single bit. It was as if the collar had grown into his neck. Nothing could make it move!
Now Xu Que could finally laugh without restraint. "Haha, Buttface, you're still too young! You dare to act arrogant in front of me? Try that again!"
The crowd present was confused. They had no idea what was happening.
Buttface had now realised that he had been fooled and flew into a rage!
"Bastard! This deity won't let you off!"
With a kick, Buttface made a leap towards Xu Que.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, do you think you can fight me?"
Xu Que smiled casually and took a step back. He made a hand sign and started to chant the tightening spell!
"Owwww!"
In that instant, Buttface, who was in mid-air, gave a sudden howl and fell abruptly onto the ground.
Buttface started to roll around on the ground and screamed repeatedly in great pain.
"Owww… boy, you… what are you doing? Stop! Ahh…ahh, I'm out of breath…ahh, young… young man, this deity is wrong, stop now! You… you're murdering a Mythical Beast! You'll suffer divine retribution!"
Buttface was in extreme pain. His eyes were big and bulging out of their sockets. His tongue dangled out of his mouth as well. He really did resemble a 3D version of the husky in the emoticon pack.
The tightening spell brought him extreme pain, but he had not suffered any physical injuries.
However, this was still enough to make Xu Que happy. "How is it? Will you obey me? Let me ask you again. Will you obey me?"
"Obey! I'll obey!" Buttface answered with difficulty.
"You'll really obey me?"
"Really! I'll obey you!"
"Shout 666 for me?"
"Oww, 6666666666…"
Chapter 376: That's An Offensive Term!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Xu Que started to chant a spell. The collar around the dog's neck became tighter and tighter.
After hearing the dog shout '666' numerous times, Xu Que finally let Buttface off temporarily and allowed the collar to revert back to its original size. The collar remained wrapped around Buttface's neck.
Buttface was panting heavily, as though he had just had a close brush with death. He stuck out his long tongue and lay on the ground as if he was dead.
Xu Que was grinning from ear to ear, for he had successfully taught the dog a lesson!
"Buttface, you always claim to be a wolf, but only dogs find this collar especially irresistible. And this collar is also especially effective against dogs. Why did you fall for it so easily?" Xu Que asked, still grinning.
Buttface felt infuriated but the moment he thought about the collar on his neck, he instantly suppressed his anger. He explained, "this deity is a wolf but I can't deny the fact that wolves are also part of the canine family. It is not surprising that this deity has fallen for the trap. After all, even the wise are not always free from error!"
Xu Que gave a laugh. "Looks like the collar didn't shrink enough for you!"
With that, he mimed recommencing the chant.
Buttface was terrified and exclaimed, "no, no, no, I'm in awe of your strength, alright? Please, let's talk this over nicely."
Xu Que levitated stone from the ground into his palm, then threw it a distance. "Go on, Buttface." He smiled. "Fetch the stone!"
With a swoosh, Buttface dashed away to get the stone. But he didn't hold the stone in his mouth—instead he acted like a human holding the stone with his front paws and hurried back to Xu Que, wearing an eager-to-please expression.
Xu Que looked at Buttface with a smiling face without saying anything.
Buttface realised what Xu Que wanted. He grabbed the stone with his mouth then spat it out, then continued to look at Xu Que eagerly.
Everyone present was rendered speechless by both the man and the dog. They were secretly exclaiming in their hearts at how unusual and weird both the owner and his pet were!
"Okay, since I've gotten the spiritual herb, I'll take my leave then. All of you can go ahead and excavate the Dragon Veins without any worry. No need to be polite with me!"
Now that Xu Que had gotten hold of the spiritual herb, there was no need to continue staying here.
Swish!
He pulled out the Act Tough King Basic Suit and draped the black robe over himself like a dust coat!
The words 'Exploding Heavens Faction' glistened in front of his chest, attracting a lot of attention!
The princes and the cultivators all stared at him with their jaws hanging!
This was the second time he was changing his clothes since entering the Imperial Tombs. However, what he was wearing now had a majestic and domineering aura that was hard to describe!
"Let's follow Young Hero Xu and leave the place!" suggested the Third Prince.
Originally, they had been here only to participate in the Imperial Tombs Contest. They had never thought that they would complete the entire Contest in just one day. And all the rounds had been cracked by Xu Que and his pet dog!
Now that all those traps were cleared, the Imperial Tombs could now be opened up for the mining of the Dragon Veins. The only problem was that perhaps the Metal Emperor would need to advise everyone on methods of excavating the Dragon Veins.
Thus, no one else really had a need to continue staying there either. When the Third Prince voiced his opinion, everyone decided to follow his suggestion. They all left together with Xu Que.
...
Meanwhile, outside the Imperial Tombs, the Metal Emperor's heart was stirring with excitement and elation.
Now that the Imperial Tombs had been successfully opened up, his plans could finally be carried out. This would bring a major transformation and great development to the Metal Nation.
Swoosh!
A flash of white light appeared at the entrance of the Imperial Tombs. The restrictive spell started to form ripples.
Immediately, the entire group of cultivators, with Xu Que in the lead, stepped out of the Imperial Tombs.
Xu Que became the focus of everyone's attention immediately, as all eyes fell on him the moment he stepped out.
At that moment, he was in the spotlight.. He had become someone who was being respected and admired.
The Act Tough King Basic Suit that he was wearing gave off the aura of a majestic leader. His Acting Tough Points kept increasing as notifications rang ceaselessly in his head!
The crowd stared wide-eyed at Xu Que's clothes. His outfit was an eye-opener for them!
"So this is the uniform of the Exploding Heavens Faction that Young Hero Xu belongs to?"
"What an incredible aura! The material looks really ordinary but that aura is extraordinary!"
"Looks like the Exploding Heavens Faction is a big sect! Even their uniforms are so domineering!"
"Especially the three words on the chest 'Exploding Heavens Faction'. They must have been written by a Master."
"It's remarkable!"
Many people marveled at the effect the suit had on people. It impressed many.
The Third Prince was smiling radiantly in excitement. Besides winning the position of Crown Prince, he had done well in getting a capable man like Xu Que to rid the Imperial Tombs of all those traps and enchantments, and had ended up successfully opening it up.
Swish!
Suddenly, the Metal Emperor left his seat and flew over to where Xu Que and rest of the group were standing.
The Emperor had actually gotten down from his throne and flown over to the top of the mountain to receive Xu Que and the rest of the group.
"Young Hero Xu is indeed someone favored by the heavens," said the Emperor, greatly pleased. "The contest this round has truly been an eye-opener for me!" His voice was full of vigor and zeal that resonated through the area.
Everyone was envious but admitted in their hearts that Xu Que did deserve such treatment from the Emperor.
Well, there's no one else like him. Young Hero Xu is really formidable and cool!
In just one day, he had managed to defeat all the puppets, enchantments and traps. He had even found the Dragon Veins. Who would not be in awe of him?
...
Xu Que looked at the Metal Emperor, who was now standing before him, and smiled casually. "I'm not someone favored by the heavens," he said dismissively. "I'm just an ordinary young man. Moreover, in the Exploding Heavens Faction, 'favored by the heavens' is an offensive term to us."
The Emperor was baffled for an instant. Everyone else was slightly taken aback as well.
'Favored by the heavens' is offensive?
How is this offensive?
Why is the Exploding Heavens Faction so eccentric?
Eh? Wait a moment… Exploding Heavens Faction…
As everyone mulled over this, they suddenly realised why Xu Que had said that!
It is no wonder 'someone favored by the heavens' is offensive. The Exploding Heavens Faction is going to explode the heavens; of course they will not want to be favored by the heavens!
But then again, the one who named their sect 'Exploding Heavens Faction' is truly someone who has a lot of guts!
How can you explode the heavens on a whim?
...
Everyone was speechless and the Metal Emperor was slightly embarrassed. He gave a cackle and changed the topic. "Young Hero Xu, you've done well. Is there anything you want? I'll make sure to satisfy your demands!"
"Anything I want?"
Xu Que gave it some serious contemplation, feeling that perhaps he should take the opportunity to make a fast buck or something!
However, Xu Que was not short on anything. What should he ask for?
He glanced over at the divine chariot at the foot of the mountain. That was the Empress Dowager's vehicle!
Nevertheless, Xu Que was not that perverted. Even if the Empress Dowager was as beautiful as a fairy, it would be too awkward to ask for the Empress Dowager's hand in marriage!
That would be too embarrassing!
Shoosh!
At this moment, a few figures were moving at a great speed towards them. The figures landed on top of the mountain and kneeled on the floor on one leg. They then paid their respects to the Emperor!
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" The few of them said in unison.
They looked very alike and were all wearing the uniform of the Imperial Guards!
"You may rise!" said the Metal Emperor.
He wore a somewhat unnatural facial expression but managed to glance at Xu Que calmly.
However, one of the guards did not stand up. He looked anxious and said, "Your Majesty, this subordinate has just returned from Fire Country and has urgent information to report. Something major has happened in Fire Country!"
The guard then looked up at the Metal Emperor.
And when he saw Xu Que standing beside the Emperor, his expression changed drastically. It was as if he had seen a ghost!
Chapter 377: Yes, I Killed The Fire Emperor!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"You… you are…"
The imperial guard looked terrified and pointed at Xu Que. His voice was trembling and he was unable to complete his sentence.
The Metal Emperor was puzzled and his eyebrows knitted closely together in thought.
These guards had been sent out by him not too long ago. Now that they were back, he wanted to know what they had discovered, especially now. He wanted information with regards to Xu Que or the Exploding Heavens Faction!
But it seemed from the terrified look of the guard that before he had been able to ask anything, he had definitely recognised Xu Que.
This surprised the Metal Emperor and he gave a swiftly order. "Men, bring them down for a rest!"
He knew that even if there was news on Xu Que from the other nations, the news should not be said in front of Xu Que.
That would make people misunderstand the reasons that the Metal Emperor had sent people to check up on Xu Que.
"Yes!"
Several eunuchs immediately acted on the order and walked over to lead the five imperial guards away.
But apparently, Xu Que did not want that. He immediately stopped them. "Wait!"
Just now when that guard talked about Fire Country, Xu Que knew that it was another chance to act tough!
Yet the Metal Emperor did not seem to want to hear about it and wanted to send them away. Xu Que would not let this happen!
This Act Tough King has stumbled on such a good opportunity to act tough, how can I just pass it up?
The guard must speak, and say it out loud to everyone… so that he can help this Act Tough King earn some publicity!
"Your Majesty, since he has something to say, why not let him say it first!" Xu Que crossed his arms whilst making his nonchalant comment.
The Metal Emperor paused for a while.
Xu Que had just done a great favor to the Metal Nation with regards to the Dragon Veins. With everyone watching, he felt that he should not turn down Xu Que's request.
He remained silent for a while then nodded his head, turning to the guard. "Alright, tell me what you know!"
"Yes, be rest assured, as long as I'm here, nobody will dare do anything to you!" Xu Que looked enthusiastic and gave a friendly smile.
The guard trembled for an instant and dared not look at Xu Que in the eye.
Inside, he was feeling agonised. Back when Xu Que had been in Fire Country, he had been there too and hadneven witnessed Xu Que ending the life of the Fire Emperor!
He also knew that Xu Que had slept with the Fire Emperor's concubine, sister and even the princess… no one had been left out.
Despite the fact that he had forgone his sleep and used various teleportation devices to rush back to the Metal Nation as soon as possible in order to report this news, this rascal had still been faster than him and had appeared here unexpectedly.
He was scared silly by Xu Que. He thought Xu Que had come to harm the Metal Nation!
He looked at the Metal Emperor, flustered. "Your Majesty, your loyal subordinate has just come back from Fire Country and has witnessed the Fire Emperor being… being… being killed!"
"What?"
Instantly, almost everyone present gasped in shock, including the Metal Emperor!
The Emperor of Fire Country has been killed?
Good heavens!
How is this possible?
Is the world descending into chaos?
Fire Country was considered one of the strongest amongst the five nations. It was in no way weaker than Metal Nation. How could the Emperor have died just like that? Could he have been taken out by an expert from overseas?
The crowd was shocked.
After all, Fire Country and Metal Nation had always been enemies. For many years, they had been fighting between themselves and had even sent killers to assassinate each other's princes and princesses.
Upon hearing the news of the death of the Fire Emperor, after the initial shock, they were actually glad.
Now everyone was curious about who had killed the Fire Emperor.
The Metal Emperor looked solemnly at the guard and asked, "do you know which venerable master did that?"
In his opinion, someone who could kill the Fire Emperor was certainly a strong entity and definitely above the stage of Infant Transformation… or even a master at the peak of the Void Training Stage!
Everyone looked at the guard in anticipation!
Shoosh!
Suddenly, Xu Que appeared at the top of the highest peak, his black cloak billowing behind him. No one knew when exactly Xu Que had gone up to the highest peak. He folded his arms before his chest and looked up to the sky at a 45 degree angle, looking proud and somber as if he was a formidable master!
The crowd was puzzled by his strange, unwarranted actions.
Brother, this is a crucial moment. Can't you focus on listening to what the guard will say?
What are you thinking of doing by going up so high?
You're not concerned about who killed the Fire Emperor but we are!
"Tell us, which venerable master did that?" The Metal Emperor turned to look at the guard again after being distracted by Xu Que earlier.
Everyone's attention was back on the guard again.
But instead, the guard shrank his neck and gingerly lifted his arm, pointing at Xu Que who was standing at the highest peak. The guard was unable to say a word.
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
Everyone was bewildered.
What does that mean?
We want to know who killed the Fire Emperor. Why are you pointing at Young Hero Xu?
Is it possible that Young Hero Xu is the one who did it?
Everyone furrowed their eyebrows.
The Metal Emperor's face turned grim and he said angrily, "audacious! Young Hero Xu is looking at the scenery. Why are you pointing at him? I'm asking you again, who is the venerable master who killed the Fire Emperor?"
The poor guard felt like weeping but had no tears. He had a bitter expression and answered carefully, "Your… Your Majesty, the Fire Emperor was… was killed by Xu Que of the Exploding Heavens Faction!"
Immediately, there was a moment of silence!
Everyone was frozen!
You said who?
Xu Que of the Exploding Heavens Faction?
A dignified monarch, the Emperor of Fire Country who was at the Infant Transformation stage, was killed by Xu Que?
Are you f*cking kidding me?
The Fire Emperor and Xu Que's level of cultivation are worlds apart. How can he have been killed by Xu Que?
By then, a sudden deep and rich voice was heard, coming from the highest peak of the mountain!
"Being invincible is really, really lonely…"
Eh?
Who's singing?
Everyone winced as they felt an uncontrollable, abrupt jolt. They turned their heads and looked up in shock!
They saw Xu Que standing on the highest peak, the cold winds blowing at his hair as well as his black robe…
His gaze was fixated on the faraway horizon and he continued to sing:
"Being invincible is really, really empty… Standing alone at the top, the cold winds blew endlessly… My loneliness, who can understand me…"
...
Everyone was now dumbfounded and thoroughly bewildered!
Being invincible is really lonely?
Being invincible is really empty?
The cold winds blew endlessly?
D*mn, by standing up so high, of course you'll feel the cold winds! What do you expect?
The corners of everyone's mouths twitched.
But soon, they started to realise something.
Why is Xu Que singing?
Because he wants to show off?
But what is he showing off now?
Could it be…
He really killed the Emperor of Fire Country?
Everyone held their breaths when they thought of that. They looked at Xu Que, tongue-tied.
When Xu Que finished singing his song, he continued looking into the horizon and puffed a long sigh. "Ai, since things have come to this, it seems like it is no of use to hide it anymore, no matter how hard I tried my best to keep a low profile! Yes, I killed the Fire Emperor!"
...
Woah!
All of sudden, everyone was floored!
Those who had been immersed in uncertainty and doubt earlier were deeply stunned now that Xu Que had admitted it himself!
Xu Que, a Level Nine Original Infant Stage, killed the Fire Emperor who was at Level Six of the Infant Transformation Stage?
How… how is that possible?
The princes who had entered the Imperial Tombs with Xu Que were clearly appalled!
The Third Prince, Seventh Princess and their group knew Xu Que was really powerful. But they had never thought that Xu Que was so talented… he could even take down the Fire Emperor!
The Second Prince who was standing behind the crowd broke out in a cold sweat. He felt chilly winds blowing at his spine and felt really terrified!
The Metal Emperor also went numb for a moment; his arm shook slightly as well.
If Xu Que could take out the Fire Emperor, doesn't that mean that he can kill me as well? thought the Metal Emperor.
When he thought of this, he took a step back involuntarily.
He looked towards the guard and asked seriously, "is this piece of news accurate?"
The guard wore a bitter expression and answered, "your loyal subordinate witnessed that scene!"
Gasp!
Immediately, the Metal Emperor took in a breath of cold air and looked aghast!
The guard then hesitated for moment, gritted his teeth and whispered, "Your Majesty, do remember to protect the princess and all of the concubines in the Palace…"
"What?" The Metal Emperor was confused.
The guard added, "Empress Dowager … Her Majesty must be protected too!"
Chapter 378: Earth Nation and Wood Nation Were Robbed?
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The scout guard tried his best to speak in the lowest tone possible, telling the Emperor what had happened in Fire Country.
When the Metal Emperor heard everything, he was completely shocked.
But what they didn't know was that when they had been talking, Buttface had snuck up behind them and listened in on everything without their knowledge.
The Metal Emperor did not realise anything and looked at the guard incredulously. "You mean… Young Hero Xu was originally the prince consort of Fire Country? He was plotted against by the Fire Emperor so he took revenge? The Emperor's concubine, sister and daughter were also…"
"Yes, your loyal subordinate would use his life to guarantee that every word is true!" said the guard firmly.
The Metal Emperor stayed silent for a moment.
At the same time, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
After all, he had not done anything to Xu Que, so he was able to stay calm.
However, his eyes involuntarily flicked over to the Seventh Princess who had followed behind Xu Que.
"Will this boy take my seventh daughter away?" muttered the Metal Emperor, feeling somewhat worried.
At this moment, a shadow suddenly chimed in. A low voice spoke, "he will, he will, this deity will guarantee with my life that the rascal will definitely, absolutely, surely do such things!"
"Eh?"
The Emperor and the scout guard were stunned by the abrupt appearance of Buttface. They each took a step back and stared at Buttface with much consternation. "You… when did you get here?"
Buttface rolled his crafty eyes and looked at them with feigned solemnity. "That's not important. The important thing is, that fellow Xu Que is certainly a dangerous person. Whoever he stares at will get pregnant!"
Whoever he stares at will get pregnant? Are you exaggerating? The Metal Emperor and the scout raised their eyebrows as they considered this.
"Buttface, you seem in need of some strangling again!"
Suddenly, Xu Que's voice was heard.
Buttface's expression instantly changed and his first instinct was to run away.
However, the collar on his neck shrunk rapidly at the next moment.
"Owww!"
Buttface immediately gave a miserable cry. His tongue stuck out to one side of his crooked mouth; his eyes were so wide that they seemed like they would pop out at any time. With a thump, he dropped to the floor and rolled on the ground in pain.
"Oww, hold… hold it! This deity did wrong! Really wrong! I'm guilty! I'm not a human!"
Buttface screamed and wailed like nobody's business.
"Uh…"
The Metal Emperor and the scout were startled by the sudden scene before them.
They turned to look at the peak of the mountain.
Xu Que was still standing at the peak, allowing the winds to blow at his black robe. He was chanting the spell so softly that only he could hear, but seemed bent on tormenting Buttface.
"You dare to speak ill of me behind my back? I'll strangle you first for twenty hours!" said Xu Que indifferently.
Buttface was full of tears. He had become a crying dog now. "Don't, I'm wrong. Just now these two fellows started it by speaking ill of you. This deity is muddled in the head and said a few regretful words! These two are the main culprits!"
The Metal Emperor and the scout's mouths twitched.
Darn! This dog is too brazen! It should be strangled to death!
Young Hero Xu did well in strangling it!
...
Xu Que continued to stay where he was, chanting the spell to teach Buttface a lesson as well as enjoying being in the wind.
Meanwhile, system notifications continued to ring in his head.
His Acting Tough Points increased again He had earned back more than 10,000 points now, making up for the points that he had spent earlier on renting the Iron Man suit.
However it didn't just stop there. His Acting Tough Points kept coming in under the thunderstruck expressions of the crowd!
Obviously, everyone was incredulous about the fact that Xu Que had killed the Fire Emperor. They were aghast by the news and they took a long time to calm down and digest the piece of information.
At the foot of the mountain, the Empress Dowager inside her divine chariot was now filled with respect for Xu Que.
Previously, she had thought that Xu Que was only good at controlling the divine chariots.
She had never expected that Xu Que and his dog could destroy all the restrictions and prohibitions laid down by their ancestors in the Imperial Tombs.
And now, the scout had brought back such shocking news.
That young man had actually killed the Fire Emperor.
The Empress Dowager found this unbelievable but she knew that the news the scout brought back couldn't be fake either.
...
Back at the top of the mountain, another scout suddenly kneeled down on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, your loyal subordinate is back from the Earth Nation… I have important news to report and it's related to the Exploding Heavens Faction!"
Another scout beside him heard that and paused for a moment, then kneeled right down as well. "Your Majesty, your loyal subordinate is back from the Wood Nation and has something to report with regards to the Exploding Heavens Faction as well!"
"Oh?"
The Metal Emperor was puzzled that the Earth Nation and the Wood Nation had news with regards to the Exploding Heavens Faction. Could it be that the Exploding Heavens Faction is active in these two nations? he thought.
Xu Que, who was standing at the peak of the mountain, was surprised at the words of the two scout guards as well.
He had not even been to the Wood Nation or the Earth Nation. How on earth did the two of them discover something about the Exploding Heavens Faction from the two distant nations?
Maybe the formidable name of the Exploding Heavens Faction has spread all over the world?
"What have you heard?" The Metal Emperor furrowed his eyebrows.
Everyone was curious as well and their sights were now on the two scouts.
After all, it was something related to the Exploding Heavens Faction. Many people were very interested in Xu Que's Exploding Heavens Faction. They wanted to know more about this sect.
But when they heard the information from the scouts, everyone was frozen on the spot, including Xu Que!
According to them, just a few days ago, there had been a major case of theft in the Earth Nation and the Wood Nation.
The Imperial Tombs of these two nations had been raided. The Genesis Earth Herb and the Genesis Wood Herb with the Dragon Veins had been stolen by the same person in just three days.
And that man was the legendary notorious figure Duan Jiu De!
"Duan Jiu De? Are you sure it's really him?"
"Heavens, I've always thought he was just a myth. I didn't expect there to really be such a person out there!"
"This is too scary! According to what I heard, that fellow is unparalleled yet he likes to steal from others!"
"Within five nations, there is no one who can stop him!"
The crowd was alarmed; many of them gasped loudly as this piece of news had shaken them more than the news of Xu Que killing the Fire Emperor.
After all, the legendary Duan Jiu De was too bizarre and too powerful. They found it hard to believe that there was such a formidable presence in the world.
However, Xu Que was thoroughly dumbfounded.
Duan Jiu De took away the Genesis Herbs of the Earth Nation and the Wood Nation?
What… what should I do?
How can I revive Xiao Rou without the other two spiritual herbs?
Xu Que found it difficult to accept this fact.
...
On the other hand, the Metal Emperor frowned and asked, "Aren't you supposed to tell us the news of the Exploding Heavens Faction? Why did you talk about Duan Jiu De?"
The scout hurriedly answered, "Your Majesty, there are some carved words left by Duan Jiu De in the Imperial Tombs of both nations. He claimed he is Duan Jiu De of the Exploding Heavens Faction and that he is the teacher of Young Hero Xu. He even said… if Young Hero Xu wants the spiritual herbs, just look for him!"
"What… what?"
The crowd froze once more and stood there like fools.
Duan Jiu De… is actually Young Hero Xu's teacher?
Oh my God, this is awesome!
No wonder Young Hero Xu has such a strange way of doing things!
So he's the disciple of Duan Jiu De!
When the two of their names are placed together, the characters 'Que' and 'De' form to mean 'wicked.' And so… they become The Wicked Duo, don't they?
At that moment, everyone turned to look at Xu Que in a dazed manner.
...
However, Xu Que was also taken aback by the news. He almost spat out a mouthful of blood!
When did I f*cking become Duan Jiu De's disciple?
In the past it was just for acting tough. But now… that notorious old man, is he even qualified to become my teacher?
F*ck! Duan Jiu De, just you wait!
Chapter 379: Will You Give Me The Empress Dowager Or The Princess?
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Xu Que was furious.
He knew that Duan Jiu De must have come for him.
Initially, he had used Duan Jiu De's name to act tough. But he had never thought that the old geezer would find out about that.
Duan Jiu De was claiming to be from the Exploding Heavens Faction and pretending to be Xu Que's teacher. He had even taken away the Genesis Herbs from the Wood Nation as well as the Earth Nation.
Duan Jiu De's reason for doing all these things was obvious. By stealing the herbs, Duan Jiu De could force Xu Que to search for him so he could settle scores with Xu Que for using his name.
Xu Que was not afraid of how strong Duan Jiu De would be. He was worried about the two Genesis Herbs. If he could not get them back, he would lose the chance to revive Xiao Rou.
No, since the old man hasn't gotten hold of the Genesis Water Herb, I need to get to Water Nation immediately! he thought to himself.
Xu Que looked solemn and turned to the Metal Emperor.
"Your Majesty, just now you asked me if there is anything I want. I can answer you now!" said Xu Que earnestly. "I need a teleportation device that can let me teleport to the Water Nation in the shortest time possible!"
The Metal Emperor was dazed for a second. "You… want to go to the Water Nation?"
"Yes, as soon as possible!" Xu Que nodded his head.
"Although the Water Nation is not far away from us, there isn't any direct teleportation device that can take you there. If I were to build one now, I would need two days to do that!"
"Two days?" Xu Que couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows.
Two days was like nothing for a cultivator.
But time was of the essence to Xu Que now. If Duan Jiu De got there earlier than him, he would lose another spiritual herb!
"Young Hero Xu, why not return to the Palace with me first?" suggested the Emperor. "The spiritual Qi is rather rich there. It's the perfect place to build a teleportation device. I promise you that I'll definitely get my men to work at their fastest speed possible to build the teleportation device!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" nodded Xu Que as he made a gesture of respect to the Emperor. "Oh, about what Buttface said earlier, you don't have to worry about it. I, Xu Que, have always adventured around the world upholding chivalry and righteousness. How could a person like me ever even dream of setting my sights on the Empress Dowager? Rest assured!"
When the Metal Emperor heard that, he stumbled and nearly fell down.
Originally he had not actually felt worried about that. But now that Xu Que had made a guarantee by patting his chest in a righteous manner, he began to feel concerned.
By bringing this guy into the Palace, is that tantamount to inviting a wolf into my house? pondered the Emperor.
Mother consumed the Youth Retaining Pill and since then, her appearance has not deteriorated. Even in the Metal Nation, she is an unmatched beauty. If this guy were to see her beauty, there is no guarantee that there won't be accidents!
The more the Metal Emperor thought about it, the more worried he became.
Soon, the crowd left the mountain. Only the guards stayed behind to guard the Imperial Tombs.
Xu Que went back with the Metal Emperor. Whilst on the way back to the Imperial City, the Metal Emperor would turn to look at Xu Que time and time again in a thoughtful manner.
Well, the Metal Emperor didn't want to have such a young stepfather after all!
As for the Empress Dowager, she had already been sent back to the Palace at the fastest possible speed by the Metal Emperor's men.
Xu Que knew all of that and he was smiling without a word.
Hide?
Will hiding be effective?
Running away will not solve the problem!
You may run away now but you can't keep running away from the problem all your life!
I, Xu Que, the Act Tough King, can get any woman I want! None of them… bleh, bleh, bleh, f*ck, why am I thinking about this?
I'm going to the Water Nation to raid the tombs. So what if the Empress Dowager is a beauty? What business is it of mine?
Xu Que shook his head as he came back to his senses.
He felt that he had drawn the suspicions of the Metal Emperor becausen of all those protective actions that were being taken.
It almost made him think that he could be one of the types who would chase any female who knew how to walk, even if they were several hundred years old…
"Bleh, this Act Tough King is so noble and righteous. Why would I do something like that? F*ck! It's too hardcore!" Xu Que muttered to himself and shook his head.
Buttface was just beside him and of course he heard everything. He gave Xu Que a sly leer. "Just continue to pretend, this deity has already seen right through you. You're a bad egg who brings disasters which can last for thousands of years. You… Owww!"
Before Buttface could finish his words, Xu Que chanted the tightening spell and Buttface rolled on the ground, shrieking in pain.
Those who saw that exclaimed repeatedly.
Young Hero Xu trains his pet so often, no wonder his pet is so strong!
...
Finally, everyone arrived at the Imperial City.
Xu Que followed the Metal Emperor to the Palace. The Third Prince, Seventh Princess and the rest followed closely behind.
As for the Second Prince, when he saw that Xu Que had gained favor with the Metal Emperor and actually had such formidable powers, he became scared out of his wits and dared not enter the Palace.
When the crowd entered the Imperial City, he quietly left by taking advantage of the huge crowd and went to hide somewhere, as he was worried Xu Que might search for him.
Xu Que had better things to do now so he was not bothered with such small fry. He was sitting inside the Metal Emperor's divine chariot and talking with him.
Frankly speaking, he had a good impression of the Metal Emperor.
At least this Emperor was a good one. He had very advanced thinking and knew that in order to improve, reforms were a must!
Hence, Xu Que shared quite an amount of esoteric policies with regards to governing a country.
"Ah, Lao Jin, although you are right to excavate the Dragon Veins, they are not something that can last forever, you know? To get rich, build roads first. Look at your Imperial Tombs, the racing course is all sand and soil… that's no good. Roads across the country must be watered with concrete, then use asphalt to make them into highways. Oh yes, and you may want to look into high-speed railways."
To get rich, build roads first?
Make the roads across the country into highways?
The Metal Emperor looked dazed. Although he did not quite understand, he felt that those words made a lot of sense.
At the very least, he concurred with the saying, 'to get rich, build roads first'.
Therefore, The Metal Emperor and Xu Que shared and talked a lot on the journey back.
Xu Que mentioned three reform policies to the Metal Emperor; 'to get rich, build roads first', 'plant more trees and bear fewer babies' and 'time used to bear babies is better used on rearing pigs and planting trees'. He also stressed the importance of the implementation of these three 'representative' policies as a nationwide campaign!
The Metal Emperor felt that he had benefitted a lot from this discussion. Even though there were a lot of terms that he could not understand, he could remember the simple and easily comprehensible slogans!
"I'm surprised that Young Hero Xu is so talented and has such a high level of knowledge in terms of governing a country. This is really an eye-opener!" exclaimed the Metal Emperor, who was now totally in awe of his abilities.
Xu Que waved his hands. "Nah, we should keep a low profile. This is just general knowledge. But in order to reform, we need to work on being civilised first. The Imperial City may look bustling and prosperous but in actual fact, it has a foul atmosphere. Just not too long ago, I saw someone selling stinky tofu in the streets. The city must undergo a reform so as to set a good example for the other cities of the Metal Nation!"
"Young Hero Xu is right. Do you have any specific ideas on how to go about doing that?" The Metal Emperor nodded and smiled.
Xu Que narrowed his eyes as if in thought and replied, "it will depend on you to find the correct way. After all, there's a saying, a teacher can show the way to a student but how far the student goes depends on him alone. Lao Jin, my friend, you have to work hard!"
The Metal Emperor smiled pleasantly and nodded. "Why don't we do this? Young hero Xu, I'll personally oversee the construction of the teleportation device. As for you, you'll help me reform the Imperial City. When you're leaving, I'll give you another big present as my thanks to you, how about it?"
"You're letting me reform the Imperial City? And you'll give me another big present too?" Xu Que raised an eyebrow and felt interested. He smiled shyly. "Lao Jin, you're too polite. Everyone has a responsibility to serve the people. But the big present… will you be giving me the Empress Dowager or the princess? Eh, eh, eh, don't look at me like that. I'm warning you, in the name of justice, you absolutely cannot do this. Whether you give me the Empress Dowager or the Princess, I will not accept. If you don't believe me, you can try!"