Traveling across the globe for the first time

Chapter 1080 Southern Emperor
Zhang Haoran looked at the Water Emperor with curiosity, not quite understanding his current situation.

Logically speaking, as long as the water ox stays still and doesn't make a sound, people will assume it's part of the scene, and few will pay attention to the blue ox lying there.

But it insisted on letting out a roar to attract attention and make others realize that it was a special being, which was absolutely suicidal.

Regardless of his intelligence, he shouldn't have done that.

You should know that Zhang Haoran had just been radiating the aura of a mid-stage Breaking Ninth Level cultivator in order to scare the Dao Tree, and he hadn't had time to retract it after teleporting over.

To an emperor, this should be terrifying. Even out of instinct, it should lie still instead of acting so wary and deliberately making noise to assert its presence.

This is unreasonable!
There must be a demon in the abnormal situation!
Zhang Haoran asked in confusion, "Could this be a hint given by the level?"

That's the only way he could understand it; otherwise, there was no way to explain this unusual behavior.

However, when he saw the "clear" gaze of the Water Emperor, he seemed to understand something.

Perhaps this was the work of the Southern Emperor. Although his intelligence was suppressed for some reason, it doesn't mean he couldn't do anything.

As the guardian, controlling the water projection is something I can manage.

It makes it behave abnormally because it's afraid of being ignored.

"Heh! This way of reminding you is quite bizarre. Aren't you afraid I'll just kill it and eat it?"
You know, water power is like a blue ox!

Whether the visitor is human or demon, if they're suddenly startled, they won't mind having a big meal to calm their nerves.

Zhang Haoran didn't plan to make a move right now. The Water Emperor's strength was too weak. In Cangmao's words, he didn't even have much flavor. If his true form were here, it would be more like it. Beef at the Saint level would at least have some flavor.

In fact, he knew he was definitely going to eat this beef hotpot; without killing the Water Emperor, the Southern Emperor's projection would not be able to regain its senses.

However, we cannot act now; the order is wrong. We need to first shatter the Southern Emperor's projection, then emerge to kill the Water Emperor, and repeat this cycle continuously to help the Southern Emperor regain his intelligence.

Zhang Haoran turned to look at the magnificent palace. The Southern Emperor's strength was not much, but this palace was quite impressive. A huge plaque hung on the door, with three gilded characters: "Guiyuan Hall".

This place was used by the Southern Emperor to entertain guests, so naturally it was built to be quite magnificent.

Both bronze doors are currently closed.

Zhang Haoran stepped forward and gently pushed the door open with a creak.

He stepped inside and found that the palace was very large, covering several thousand square meters. In the center of the palace, there was a huge futon, on which sat an old man in blue robes. His eyes were closed and his hands were placed on his dantian, clearly circulating a set of qigong techniques.

He knew that as long as he followed the other person's example for a few months, he could pass the test.

As for whether one can learn the Returning to Origin Technique, that depends on each person's comprehension.

He absolutely had to learn the Returning to Origin Technique.

Therefore, he did not intend to follow the other party's example and gradually understand it, but instead wanted the Southern Emperor to personally guide him.

Zhang Haoran sized up the Southern Emperor, thinking to himself, "This old guy is really unlucky. Even if you add up all the emperor clones and projections, he's still the most tragic one."

I wonder which genius did this, that his intelligence was somehow suppressed by that stupid cow outside.

Could it be that he did something bad before and offended the seed projection?

He had to play his part completely; he couldn't act like he knew everything right away, otherwise the Southern Emperor would inevitably become suspicious once he regained his senses.

If I were to try to learn the Returning to Origin Technique again at that time, I might still encounter some setbacks.

So he pretended not to know that the Southern Emperor was not intelligent, stepped forward, and bowed in a standard martial arts salute.

"Senior Emperor Nanhuang! This junior, Zhang Haoran, has come to accept the test."

The projection of the Southern Emperor remained silent and continued to sit cross-legged and practice his skills.

At this point, other martial artists would naturally assume that the other party's silence was a clue, requiring them to slowly search for clues. It seems that Chaos King was fooled in this way.

Those with high comprehension will even learn from the Southern Emperor, meditating on the futon to sense the energy fluctuations emanating from him and gradually comprehend the cultivation technique.

Regardless of whether they can ultimately comprehend the Returning Origin Technique, they can all pass the level in a few months. Dao Shu and Mo Wenjian may have passed the level in this way.

The fact that the Southern Emperor's intelligence was still suppressed shows that the two of them didn't know that this was just for show.

Perhaps the Southern Emperor projection has never been clear-headed since the boundary point was formed.

Zhang Haoran had already made up his mind to help the Southern Emperor regain his senses, so he naturally wouldn't try to comprehend any cultivation techniques, as that would be too much of a waste of time.

He waited for about fifteen minutes, then bowed again and said, "Please grant me a test, Senior Southern Emperor."

This time his voice was louder, and it also contained a wisp of spiritual power, causing the projection to shake.

Zhang Haoran waited another quarter of an hour, bowed again, but saw that the other party still did not react.

He then feigned dissatisfaction and said, "Senior Emperor Nanhuang, I have already shown you all the proper etiquette. What do you mean by not saying a word?"
They say things shouldn't happen more than three times, but this is the third time I've bowed to you, and you haven't given me a single hint. Isn't that a bit much? Are you looking down on me?

His face darkened, his tone turned cold, and he looked very displeased. This wasn't necessarily impolite, as the rule of the Three Realms was that the strong were respected, and his current strength was far greater than that of this projection.

Showing respect would be an act of deference to the other party's status as an emperor, but for the Southern Emperor to ignore him is going too far. If he were to take action against him for this, no one could say anything.

Zhang Haoran abandoned his respectful demeanor and stared at the Southern Emperor's projection with icy eyes, seemingly observing it carefully. He muttered to himself, "It is said that the Southern Emperor is a rare gentleman among the nine emperors. He shouldn't be so rude. Could there be something wrong with this projection?"

"Senior Nanhuang, I apologize! There may be a problem with your projection. I had no choice but to test it. Please forgive me."

He knew that although the Southern Emperor was sitting there like a block of wood, not saying a word, he would know everything that had happened here once he regained his senses.

He also wanted to learn the Returning to Origin Technique from the other party, so he had to find a good excuse before taking action.

If they attack without saying a word, it will be very awkward when the Southern Emperor comes to his senses.

Zhang Haoran muttered to himself, "I've said all that, but Senior Nanhuang still hasn't reacted at all. It seems there might really be something wrong with this projection!"

"Let's test the waters first. There are still several more checkpoints ahead, and I don't want to be stuck here forever."

He had already asked respectfully three times and put on a show, so even after the Southern Emperor regained consciousness, he couldn't find anything wrong with it.

With the groundwork laid, it's time to get started.

Zhang Haoran reached out and beckoned, a flash of red light appeared, and the Blood Shadow Sword appeared in his hand.

"excuse me!"

He let out a low shout, and his qi and sword intent converged on the blade, spreading out a faint killing aura.

The Southern Emperor's projection still didn't open its eyes, but it trembled instinctively.

Zhang Haoran suddenly realized something and thought to himself, "Damn it, I can't use swordsmanship. My sword technique, Heart Severing, isn't something I can control at will right now. If I accidentally destroy this projection, that'll be a real problem!"

No matter how well he acted before, if he cut off the other party's martial arts realm, when the Southern Emperor wakes up, he will definitely turn against him and think that he was taking advantage of him. At that time, it will be difficult to learn the Returning Origin Technique.

As rulers, they all possess their own pride and do not easily yield. No one knows what these old fogies will choose. Mutual destruction is also a possibility!

Therefore, we cannot go too far; at the very least, we cannot cause permanent harm to the other party.

Zhang Haoran put away the Blood Shadow Sword. It didn't matter if he didn't use swordsmanship; his fist and foot skills were also quite good.

In the original novel, Fang Ping simply punched the projection until it dissipated, and after regaining his senses, the Southern Emperor did not turn against him.

Ah!
Then I'll just use my fists and feet too.

Zhang Haoran raised his left hand, his qi and blood gathered, and golden light burst forth.

"Hoar!"

A resounding dragon's roar rang out, and a golden dragon coiled around the arm, yet the palm hesitated to strike.
He stared blankly at the Southern Emperor, who was sitting cross-legged.

"Damn! The old guy's pose makes it a bit difficult to make a move!"

That slap felt like a direct hit to the face!

The Southern Emperor was sitting cross-legged on a futon, and Zhang Haoran was standing opposite him. This slap looked exactly like a slap to the face.

"How about we use the Finger Flicking Technique? It'll be lighter even without the attack boost!"

This doesn't seem appropriate either; performing it from this angle looks like flicking someone's head.

"Are we going to have to use the Dragon Subduing Divine Leg technique?"

This angle would be perfect for kicking.

But no matter how you look at it, it's a kick to the heart.

Besides, kicking someone right off the bat is incredibly disrespectful.

Whether it's slapping someone, flicking their forehead, or kicking them in the chest, none of these seem quite appropriate.

When the Southern Emperor regains his senses, he will feel that this was a deliberate humiliation.

"Hehe, luckily I have enough tactics! I'll just use the ones that won't cause misunderstandings."

Zhang Haoran stepped forward, approaching the Southern Emperor, and extended his right hand, pointing it at the emperor's head, his fingers curling into a claw.

"Shh!"

A tiny white ray burst forth from between his five fingers.

Nine Yin White Bone Claw!
This is a martial art technique he learned a long time ago, and it has a fatal effect when it pierces the enemy's skull.

He muttered to himself, "Senior Nanhuang, I'm sorry to offend you! With the posture you're in now, it's really difficult for me to make a move. I could give you a quick death with the Nine Yin White Bone Claw."

After making a few polite remarks, his right hand shot out like lightning, aiming for the top of the Southern Emperor's head. With a soft thud, his five fingers easily pierced through, tearing five bloody holes in the other's skull.

The Nine Yin White Bone Claw not only has a fatal effect, but it can also ignore the opponent's defense. This single strike can shatter the Southern Emperor's projection.

This is a true one-hit kill!

The purpose of revealing this skill was to make the Southern Emperor wary after he regained his senses and dare not easily turn against him.

In fact, if he could upgrade the Nine Yin White Bone Claw to the fourth level, he could also comprehend a finishing move law, but the activation conditions would be even more demanding.

As a swordsman, Zhang Haoran should naturally focus on swordsmanship, while his fist and foot skills can only serve as a supplement.

"Boom!"

The projection of the Southern Emperor suddenly collapsed, but his body did not explode. He died too quickly, leaving behind a mass of mixed energy in the place.

Swish!
A flash of white light appeared, and the projection of the Southern Emperor reappeared. Having died once, he was somewhat responsive. He opened his eyes, a hint of helplessness in them, and said in a low voice, "This is the Guiyuan Hall, a place for cultivation. You may find your own opportunity to break through!"

After the Southern Emperor finished speaking mechanically, he closed his eyes again.

Zhang Haoran certainly knew what the so-called opportunity to break through the barrier was, but he didn't just want to pass the barrier; he wanted to learn the Returning to Origin Technique.

"Senior Nanhuang, please don't be offended. I'm just trying to help you regain your senses."

After offering a casual explanation, he struck again, using the Nine Yin White Bone Claw once more, instantly crushing the opponent's head.

The next moment, the projection of the Southern Emperor reappeared, but this time he remained silent, sitting in meditation with his eyes closed.

He knew he had to destroy the projection until it could not be revived before he could go outside and kill the Water Emperor in order to lift the suppression on the Southern Emperor.

Without any mercy, it slashed down again, smashing the projection to pieces!
However, after several repetitions, each time the projection dissipated, it would instantly reassemble, even faster than the speed at which the Beast King's projection condensed.

"Holy crap, what's going on? Could the Southern Emperor also be able to resurrect indefinitely? Where does his energy come from?"

He recalled that in the original story, Fang Ping fought many times before the Southern Emperor's projection disappeared.

Moreover, he made a new discovery: the reason why the Southern Emperor's projection condenses so quickly is because the previous projection has not completely dissipated before it condenses again, so the consumption is not large.

Zhang Haoran frowned and said, "How about we try the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, the Finger Flicking Divine Skill, or the Subduing Dragon Divine Kick, those moves with stronger impact?"

Anyway, I'm just helping him regain his senses, so I don't think Senior Nanhuang will mind."

He found that while such instant kills were exhilarating, they rarely achieved their intended purpose.

We should do what Fang Ping did: seize this projector and beat it mercilessly, constantly weakening the energy within the opponent's body. Only when the energy here can no longer support resurrection will a change occur.

He acted on his impulse, disregarding manners, and focused on waking up the Southern Emperor first.

"Hoar!"

A loud dragon roar sounded.

He raised his leg and kicked out, a golden dragon coiled around his right leg, slamming into the Southern Emperor's chest. The Dragon Subduing Kick had no attack bonus, and the chest wasn't a vital spot, so the projection wasn't shattered by the kick.

"puff!"

The Southern Emperor spat out a mouthful of blood and slowly opened his eyes. This time he finally reacted. The helplessness in his eyes intensified, and he said with a hint of anger, "Return to Origin Hall, cultivate the Return to Origin Body."

"What is the Returning Origin Body? And how should it be cultivated? Please enlighten me, senior."

Zhang Haoran also put on a helpless expression and sighed, "Hey! Senior, can't you just say it all at once?"
I feel a little guilty for always being disrespectful to you.

In fact, he knew that the Southern Emperor had not fully regained his senses at this moment, and those words he had just spoken were merely some hints given according to the rules.

He put on this attitude only to appease the Southern Emperor, so that when the Southern Emperor woke up and found that he had been beaten to a pulp several times, he wouldn't lose face. Anyone who is repeatedly killed would not be in a good mood.

(End of this chapter)