Three Kingdoms: Start by marrying Cai Yan, then vie for supremacy.

32

His chest was hurting terribly, but he couldn't care less about that right now.

This old man is actually Shennong?

Are you kidding me!

Shennong died a long time ago, didn't he?!

General Iron Palm was filled with questions when the old man suddenly turned around, grinned at him, and said, "What? Surprised to see me?"

When he saw the face clearly, he froze—wasn't that the very Yan Emperor Shennong himself?

He would never misjudge someone.

Back when he fought alongside Lord Chiyou and the two emperors Yan and Huang, he had personally witnessed the Yan Emperor.

The old man in front of me is a perfect match for the imposing figure in my memory!

"You...you're already dead, aren't you?" General Iron Palm's voice trembled.

"Death? Life? It's just a cycle of reincarnation."

Shennong stroked his beard, his gaze sweeping over him and Ketu. "Chiyou is still here, how could Emperor Yan have disappeared? Since you both covet the undying fire..."

Before he could finish speaking, the old man suddenly raised both hands upwards!

The once bare ground was instantly covered with a green halo, and Xu Chen immediately recognized that it was exactly the same as the aura emitted by Shennong Armor.

The entire earth began to tremble violently, and to everyone's astonishment, countless tender shoots pushed through the rocks and grew wildly!

General Iron Palm gasped. This scene was all too familiar—in the great battle a thousand years ago, Shennong used this very move against Lord Chiyou!

The Wood Element Sect's Supreme Secret Technique: Wild Growth!

In the blink of an eye, the barren rock formations transformed into a lush forest.

Su Xi rubbed her eyes hard: "Am I dreaming?" These towering trees that rose from the ground, each one surging with a terrifying power, seemed to be able to unleash a storm that could destroy the land at any moment.

"The power of the Five Elements... can be used like this?" Xu Chen was dumbfounded.

He thought he had grasped the secrets of the Five Elements, but now he realized that he hadn't even touched the threshold in front of Shennong! What Five Elements Lotus? In the face of this wildly growing forest, it was like children playing house.

May the earth nourish all living beings, and may Shennong live on forever!

"As expected of Shennong, his power is truly awe-inspiring!"

"I humbly admit defeat and take my leave!"

Ketu bowed hastily to Shennong, then turned and fled in a panic, not daring to look back.

He knew perfectly well that he couldn't even withstand a single move from Shennong.

If we don't run for our lives now, it's tantamount to courting death!

Such a person could probably only be subdued by the evil god himself!

Shennong watched Ketu depart without giving chase, then turned his gaze to General Iron Palm: "What? You want to exchange a few blows with me too?"

Looking at the towering ancient trees sprouting from the ground all around, even if General Iron Palm had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare to take Shennong's attack head-on.

He hurriedly clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Lord Shennong's martial arts are unparalleled; I am ashamed to admit my inferiority! I will come to learn from you again when my cultivation has improved!"

Just as he was about to leave, a lush green sapling suddenly blocked his way.

Despair welled up in General Iron Palm's heart—if Shennong intended to spare him, he would have no chance of survival! How could the power of the Five Elements of this man be compared to that of Xu Chen and his ilk?

His Adam's apple bobbed as he forced himself to turn around: "Does Lord Shennong really want to wipe us out completely? If that's the case, I have no choice but to fight to the death!" Although he spoke with a tough tone, his legs were already weak and he could barely stand without the other party making a move.

"Kill you? You'd just dirty my hands for nothing."

Shennong sneered, "I know all about the schemes of your Chiyou tribe."

Go back and tell your comrades: As long as I, Shennong, live, Chiyou will never awaken! If he dares to plot against the inextinguishable fire again...

With a flick of his sleeve, the saplings blocking the road fell silently to the ground.

General Iron Palm felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and hurriedly clasped his hands in a fist and fled.

After the two had gone far away, Shennong lightly pressed down with his right palm, and the wildly growing trees instantly shrank back into the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the surrounding area returned to normal, as if the earth-shattering event had never happened.

Su Xi looked at Shennong approaching, her voice trembling with excitement: "Thank you so much for saving my life, senior!" This white-haired, youthful-looking old man was none other than the Yan Emperor himself, who was on par with the Yellow Emperor!

Shennong glanced at Su Xi indifferently, waved his hand casually, and went straight to Xu Chen.

"How are you feeling? Are you alright?"

"I am in good health, thanks to Shennong who arrived in time."

"

"This is the second time you've saved me!"

Before Xu Chen could finish speaking, Shennong chuckled.

"Your Majesty, you are too kind. It is merely my duty."

"

Ultimately, I am also doing this for the sake of all living beings.

"

"If you were to be killed by a villain, I fear the people of the world would suffer."

"

Xu Chen shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this:

"What talk about the common people? I can barely even beat a Khrushchev now."

"

"Not to mention evil gods and big shots like Chi You."

"

"Master Shennong, could it be that you've made a mistake?"

Shennong explained gently:

Many things were decided from the very beginning.

"

"Not only can I not change it, but even evil gods and Chi You cannot reverse it."

"

All we can do is submit to fate.

"

"Those who defy the heavens will surely be punished!"

These words made Xu Chen fall into deep thought.

If everything is truly as Shennong said, and everything is predetermined by fate—the system, the Great Snow Dragon Rider, the Ten Famous Swords, and even today's events are all preordained—then what purpose is there for a person to live?

Just as she was lost in thought, Su Xi suddenly interrupted, her voice filled with excitement:

"Are you truly Lord Shennong?"

"The legendary ancestors of the Yan and Huang Emperors, who were on par with the Yellow Emperor?"

The person before him was an ancient power who once ruled the earth, and he could hardly contain his excitement.

Shennong looked the girl over carefully and asked in a gentle voice:

"You come from the Kunlun lineage?"

If I'm not mistaken, he should be the inheritor of the Kunlun Mountain tradition.

"

"I wonder whose mantle he inherited?"

Su Xi quickly replied, "This junior studies Feng Hou Qi Men!"

"Feng Hou Qi Men? No wonder there's a resemblance to that girl in her eyes and brows."

"

"Having received her true teachings, he will surely achieve great things by diligently cultivating his skills."

"

Hearing the praises of ancient sages fills my heart with sweetness day and night.

She pressed on, asking again:

"The Iron Palm General and Ke Tu just now, one is a general under Chi You, and the other is a henchman of an evil god."

"

"Such a menace will only cause trouble later if left unchecked!"

"Lord Shennong, why didn't you kill those two guys just now?" Su Xi couldn't help but ask.

Shennong shook his head with a wry smile: "Do you think I don't want to?"

"I'm really powerless to do it."

"

Upon hearing this, Su Xi's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief.

If you knew the power of that "Wild Growth" move, let alone Ke Tu and Iron Palm General, how many people in the world could withstand it?

Moreover, this was done personally by Shennong!

Legend has it that this move was originally created by Shennong.

Now they're saying they can't kill those two guys? Su Xi absolutely refuses to believe it.

Shennong seemed to see through Su Xi's thoughts, and turned to Xu Chen to explain in a low voice:

"That move just now was nothing but a bluffing trick."

"

"If they really let it grow wildly, the whole mountain will collapse!"

"It's not that I don't want to use it, it's that I really can't use it."

"

"I am not my true self now, but merely an illusion."

"

"I am just a wisp of spiritual energy remaining in Shennong's inner armor."

"

"Residual spiritual energy?!"

Su Xi looked at Shennong again and realized that the old man was indeed ordinary, and she could not sense any spiritual energy fluctuations in his body!

I had previously thought that my cultivation was too shallow to see through the realm of Shennong.

Only after hearing this did I realize that the person in front of me had no spiritual power at all!

That whole show of force just now was nothing but a ruse!

If it were anyone else, Ke Tu and his men wouldn't have fled in such a panic.

But the person in front of us happens to be Shennong!

Unless Ketu and his men are tired of living, they have no choice but to run for their lives.

After hearing these words, Su Xi realized how powerful this ancient being was.

These ancient powerhouses were not only strong in terms of physical strength, but also in terms of wisdom and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances!

Shennong said to Xu Chen:

"You are wearing the Shennong Inner Armor."

"

"When attacked, the armor will automatically activate its spiritual power to protect its owner."

"

"I am merely using this spiritual power to temporarily manifest my physical form."

"

"I will soon dissipate, and then Ketu and the others will definitely notice something is wrong."

"

"Moreover, there are other enemies on this rocky mountain."

"

"I will now tell you how to obtain the inextinguishable fire; only you in the whole world can take it away."

"

As he spoke, Shennong leaned close to Xu Chen's ear and whispered a few words of advice.

"Remember, you must refine the Unquenchable Flame as soon as you obtain it."

"

"We must not let the Chi You tribe take it away!"

"Otherwise, it will surely lead to a catastrophic disaster!"

With a flash of green light, Shennong's figure vanished like smoke and suddenly entered Xu Chen's body.

There was no trace of him left in the world, as if this ancient god had never manifested in the human realm.

Su Xi blinked as she looked Xu Chen up and down, her fingertips twirling around the ends of his hair.

She was really curious—what exactly did Shennong whisper to this kid in that cloud of green mist just now?

Before leaving, Master's instructions still echoed in my ears: either stop Xu Chen from obtaining the Unquenchable Flame, or... snatch that flame back to Kunlun!

But what's going on now?

Everyone knows that the Unquenchable Flame is a sacred object that Shennong sealed himself, and now even the original owner has tacitly allowed Xu Chen to take over.

If we were to forcibly seize it at this point, how would Kunlun Mountain differ from those highway robbers?

The girl suddenly stomped her foot, and a few ice flowers bloomed on the bluestone pavement.

"To find the spark, you must first find the boiling pool."

Xu Chen opened his palm, and a wisp of green light moved among the lines. It is said to be hidden in a cave on the top of the ancient mountain, and the entrance is sealed with a restriction.

"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Su Xi's compass hummed in his sleeve. "My Feng Hou Qi Men is best at identifying water veins—"

It's too late.

Xu Chen suddenly grabbed her wrist, "The Five Elements Sect... they're probably already at the foot of the mountain."

"

"The Five Elements Sect?" Su Xi tilted her head, her silver bracelet clinking crisply. "Aren't they direct descendants of Shennong? They're certainly better than Chi You's group..."

The words came to an abrupt halt.

She saw a shadow rise in Xu Chen's eyes, like dark clouds suddenly obscuring the moon.

Just now, when the green smoke entered my ears, it clearly delivered a five-word warning.

Xu Chen stroked the bone flute at his waist, not telling the girl that the sect that claimed to be a model of righteousness now had even its founders to be wary of.

"Let's not waste any more time, let's hurry up and get up the mountain!"

"Who cares about the Five Elements Sect or the Chi You Tribe? The only thing that matters is having the inextinguishable flame in our hands!"

The two exchanged a smile and strode towards the mountaintop.

As they walked, Su Xi suddenly spoke up: "It's said that Shennong hid the undying fire in this ancient mountain."

"

"I heard that the mountains are full of traps and barriers."

"

"But we haven't encountered a single stumbling block along the way—"

"It seems rumors are just rumors after all, and shouldn't be taken seriously!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Chen suddenly stopped in his tracks, startling Su Xi so much that she almost bumped into his back.

"What's wrong?" Su Xi steadied herself against the cliff face. "What did you find?"

"I sensed the presence of water and fire."

Xu Chen lowered his voice.

"Water?" Su Xi looked around—the bare cliffs weren't even covered in moss, let alone any streams.

Is this guy hallucinating?

Sensing the doubtful looks of his companions, Xu Chen said firmly, "My perception of the five elements is never wrong!" But he himself wondered: Where exactly are the water and fire hidden?

"Could it be underground?" Su Xi poked the hard rock surface with her sword sheath.

Xu Chen tried to use his spiritual power to investigate, but found that the ground was covered by an iron curtain.