Return of the Immortal Emperor Daddy

Chapter 522 - 523: In Times Without Heroes, Even the Insignificant Rise to Fame [Fifth Update]

That night, Liu Tianji and the Sword Control masters departed from Yang City. They headed to various cities across Dragon Country—the Demonic Capital, Jinmen, Lin’an, and beyond.

The branches of the Sword God Company became slaughterhouses. Martial Practitioners stood no chance against the Immortal Seekers. By dawn, they were all wiped out.

「Longjing」

The Lord of the Four Seas and his associates had been escorted to Jinluan Hall, where the Sword Demon now sat upon the Dragon Throne, savoring every moment.

"You call yourself the Sword Demon, even Dugu Qiubai, the Unbeatable, but your actions dishonor the very name of the sword!" the Lord of the Four Seas declared. Despite being a prisoner, he remained dignified and unyielding.

The Sword Demon laughed dismissively. To think someone who didn’t understand martial arts would presume to lecture him on the sword. "I dishonor the sword? What do you know? City Lord Ye also harbors ambitions for the throne, so naturally, I must aim just as high! I seek to be the supreme among swordsmen and the Monarch among men!"

"HAHAHA..." With those words, the Sword Demon burst into uproarious laughter. He could hardly believe his grand ambitions were only a step away.

First, defeat Wu Tian. Then, pressure the Lord of the Four Seas to relinquish his title as Monarch. By that time, he would be alone at the top. Abroad, he would form an alliance with the United States of America. At home, he would increase tax revenues. All wealth would belong to the Imperial Court! All companies would be nationalized! Dragon Country would be renamed Sword Country!

The Sword Demon believed that under his ingenious rule, the people of Sword Country would live better and better lives. Every citizen of Sword Country, when abroad, could proudly declare with their head held high, "I am from Sword Country!"

By then, the Sword Demon believed, the people would understand him. They would all willingly identify as citizens of Sword Country, not Dragon Country.

Imagining the brilliant future, envisioning how history would remember him as a great emperor for the ages beyond even the legendary founders of old, the Sword Demon, perched upon the Dragon Throne, laughed even more wildly. "HAHAHA..."

But just at that moment, an army General who had already submitted to the Sword Demon’s rule rushed into Jinluan Hall, stumbled, and fell to the ground.

"What’s the matter? Why the panic?" the Sword Demon snorted. With the Lord of the Four Seas present, he didn’t want to show any weakness. "No matter what has happened, state it calmly. I consider nothing in this world to be of any great significance. You should learn to be as calm as I am. Do you understand why you can only be a General, while I am destined to become a great Monarch? It is because you lack my composure!"

The General was taken aback for a moment. He took a deep breath and spoke calmly, "Report! An urgent message from Jinmen! The Sword God Company’s Jinmen branch has been annihilated by an unidentified individual!"

"Urgent message from the Demonic Capital! The Sword God Company’s branch there has been annihilated by an unidentified individual!"

"Urgent message from Lin’an! The Sword God Company’s Lin’an branch has been annihilated by an unidentified individual!"

"Urgent message from Jinling! The Sword God Company’s Jinling branch has been annihilated by an unidentified individual!"

"Urgent message from the Grasslands! The Sword God Company’s Grasslands branch has been annihilated by an unidentified individual!"

"..."

One dire report arrived, then a second, a third, and a fourth. The Sword Demon’s face grew darker and darker. Finally, by the time the General reached the report from the twenty-ninth city, he could take no more.

"Enough! ENOUGH!" the Sword Demon roared, veins bulging on his forehead.

The General nodded fearfully. Weren’t you the one telling me to learn your composure? Where is your composure now?

"Wu Tian... This must be related to Wu Tian!" The Sword Demon clenched his teeth. All his branch offices were his blood, sweat, and tears, yet they had all been annihilated overnight. How could such a thing not enrage him?

"I suggest you run," the Lord of the Four Seas said, looking at the Sword Demon’s state and sighing. "Once he arrives, your corpse won’t even be left intact. You have no chance against him!"

"Bullshit!" Unable to restrain himself, the Sword Demon sprang from his chair. "Before the duel between Ximen and the City Lord, who could have known the outcome?" he said coldly. "My battle with Wu Tian is a contest between the Sword Demon and the Martial God of Dragon Country. Until it’s over, who dares predict the winner?"

The Lord of the Four Seas shook his head and said indifferently, "When an egg strikes a rock, you know the egg will break even before they touch."

The Sword Demon gritted his teeth. He refused to believe it.

"Lord of the Four Seas, I won’t kill you," the Sword Demon declared. "On the fifteenth of August, I will let you witness with your own eyes the moment I defeat Wu Tian. Then you’ll realize that what you said today was complete and utter nonsense!"

It was July 30th, leaving just over two weeks until August 15th. The legendary duel between Ximen and the City Lord was known throughout the Jianghu, and it was that very fight that had established Ximen’s reputation as the Sword God.

No one is immune to the allure of fame, so the Sword Demon immediately summoned numerous reporters for an interview, setting up another live broadcast. The broadcast was held in Jinluan Hall, within the Forbidden City.

"Dear viewers, sitting on the Dragon Throne before me is none other than the esteemed Sword Demon. I will now begin our live interview!" a fashionably dressed reporter announced, pointing her microphone at the Sword Demon.

"May I ask, Sword Demon, how confident are you about the upcoming battle atop the Forbidden City on the night of the full moon, August 15th?"

The Sword Demon smiled, trying his best to appear amiable and put the citizens watching the broadcast at ease. "Of course I’m confident," he said composedly. "I have confidence in my sword."

"And are you familiar with the Martial God?" the reporter asked again. Wu Tian’s feats were already legendary, and his recent, effortless annihilation of the Sword Demon’s disciples in Yang City was an especially shocking story.

"I know of him," the Sword Demon said with a smile. "I only know the results, of course. The process doesn’t matter to me, because I believe that anything Wu Tian can do, I can do as well.

"As the saying goes, ’When there are no heroes, even a common man can make a name for himself.’ Of course, Wu Tian is no common man, but what I mean is, if I had descended from the mountain just one year earlier, his legend would be mine!"

An enormous number of people were watching the live interview. Viewers tuned in not just from Dragon Country, but from the United States of America, Arthur Country, and beyond.

Everyone had their fists clenched tight.

The people of Dragon Country were furious.

"The Sword Demon is too arrogant!"

"A person like that must never become Monarch! Just think about his policies—taxes on deliveries, takeout, haircuts... I couldn’t stand it!"

"But what if he loses to Wu Tian? Might he become so enraged that he orders the army to attack?"

"That’s..."

All the people of Dragon Country had the same unsettling thought and began to worry for Wu Tian. Although Wu Tian had annihilated Fusang, since the rise of the Martial Path, Hezong Country had issued a directive stating that, in desperate times, nations could employ Forbidden Weapons. After all, Forbidden Weapons were not something ordinary weapons could resist.

The Sword Demon had already stepped out of Jinluan Hall. He stood under the night sky with his hands behind his back, displaying the demeanor of a true grandmaster. This was meant to be the final shot. After capturing this sequence, the reporter was ready to conclude the interview.

But at that exact moment, several helicopters appeared in the sky above the Forbidden City.

The hatch doors opened, and Wu Tian and the others jumped down.

The live broadcast camera did not turn off. The viewers watching were stunned.

What on earth was happening?