Mythical Three Kingdoms: Martial Arts Reach Divine Ranks, I Alone Rule the World

Jizhou, near Julu.

Almost the instant that person, dressed in the crown of the Han emperor and exuding an aura of imperial power, descended upon the land of the Zhuge clan in Langya Commandery...

An old Taoist priest who was meditating on the altar opened his eyes as if sensing something.

"First came the phantom of the Overlord, then the Emperor of Han appeared."

"And then there's the imperial tomb..."

"He was entangled in all sorts of the strangest things in the world; if it were anyone else, they would have been facing certain death long ago."

"As it turned out, this young friend of the old Taoist priest actually showed signs of rising against the odds."

"Heh, all I can say is..."

"This young friend of mine truly deserves to be called the greatest anomaly in the world!"

As the old Taoist priest spoke, he lowered his head and began to calculate with his fingers.

A pure Taoist aura suddenly appeared on him, and a mysterious and profound aura enveloped the altar.

A short while later.

When the old Taoist priest opened his eyes, a smile appeared in his cloudy eyes.

"It seems that the old Taoist's fate has also undergone a slight change."

"Although the road ahead is still fraught with uncertainty, there is a glimmer of hope hidden within this uncertainty."

"A glimmer of hope..."

The old Taoist priest first glanced at the auspicious dragon representing the fate of the Han Dynasty in the sky above Luodu, and then looked towards the Western Regions in the far west.

He murmured:

"If this old Taoist priest were to give up even this last glimmer of hope..."

"It will surely bring that great man's fate to a complete end, breaking the shackles in the dark for the living beings of this world."

"Sacrificing the old Taoist priest for the benefit of all beings!"

"This is both the way of balancing heaven and earth and the way that the old Taoist practiced."

The voice faded away.

Along with it, the old Taoist priest also disappeared.

……

The territory of the Zhuge clan in Langya Commandery.

"We shouldn't have gotten involved!"

The four words spoken by the newcomer were like a thunderclap in Zhang Mu's ears, or an invisible blade piercing his mind, attempting to shake his beliefs.

Upon hearing this...

A cold smile curled at the corner of Zhang Mu's mouth.

The purple aura emanating from his body not only did not subside in the slightest, but instead burned like a raging fire.

It clashed head-on with the newcomer's imposing presence, creating silent ripples in the void.

"Do you think you alone can set the rules of this world?"

"Who said that...?"

"This child's path must be followed exactly as you have ordained, like a puppet!"

Zhang Mu's voice wasn't loud, but every word was firm and resolute, carrying an unquestionable determination.

Throughout his life, Zhang Mu has never truly bowed his head to anyone.

If you back down because of a stranger's words...

Ah!

What use is his strength?

"in addition!"

Zhang Mu abruptly changed the subject, his gaze sharp as lightning as he stared directly at the emperor, his tone carrying an undisguised contempt and provocation.

"Before threatening someone, you'd better give them your name first!"

"so……"

The purple aura emanating from Zhang Mu grew increasingly intense, as if it were about to ignite this stagnant space-time.

next moment.

He made a grasping motion with his right hand, and a jet-black halberd, shrouded in a faint purple aura, appeared out of thin air. Zhang Mu held it firmly, its tip pointing directly at the newcomer.

"At least."

"When I kill you with my own hands later, I'll know what kind of gods, demons, and monsters are standing on my feet."

"Clang!"

The halberd hummed softly, as if responding to its master's overwhelming fighting spirit.

As Zhang Mu's natal divine weapon, this black battle halberd had already been upgraded to a genuine imperial weapon under the nurturing of the chaotic world within his body when he stepped into the alternative imperial realm.

now.

Sensing Zhang Mu's volcanic battle intent, the halberd radiated an astonishing light.

The sharp edge of the halberd flickered and shone, as if it could cleave through the void.

On the halberd, an ancient phenomenon appeared: a blazing sun shone across the sky, illuminating the earth, and sages transformed into pillars supporting the heavens, standing tall and upright.

There is no need for Zhang Mu to stimulate his qi and blood.

This imperial weapon has revived on its own, unleashing its power to the fullest extent, emanating a terrifying aura capable of crushing eternity.

The Emperor gazed silently at the young man before him, a man who showed no intention of yielding to his "kind advice" and was even more arrogant and domineering than himself.

His deep eyes were calm and still, as if he were looking at an ignorant ant, or as if he were examining a piece of uncut jade.

a long time.

He finally spoke slowly, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority, simple yet powerful.

"My taboo name is..."

"Hajime!"

The single character "肇" (zhào) is like a divine decree descending upon the world, causing even the void to tremble slightly.

This is more than just a name.

It is also a symbol, a declaration of identity.

The Emperor of the Imperial Realm swept his gaze over Guo Jia, Xi Zhicai, and Zhuge Jin's group, whose thoughts had been frozen due to the stagnation of time and space. His eyes held a hint of indifference, as if he were looking at a group of ants that had nothing to do with him.

He continued, his tone calm yet carrying an air of looking down upon all living beings:

"Your Majesty, if you were to withdraw now and cease interfering with our plans, perhaps we could live in peace."

"Otherwise..."

The Emperor's voice suddenly turned cold as he glanced at the endless ocean to the east.

There.

It was the battlefield he chose for himself and Zhang Mu.

Immediately afterwards, a royal dragon aura, which only the emperor who carries the destiny of the dynasty can cultivate, suddenly erupted from his body, carrying a majestic heavenly might and crashing down on the purple blood aura rising from Zhang Mu's body.

The imperial dragon energy and the purple blood energy are as difficult to reconcile as ice and fire.

The moment the two came into contact, a deafening roar erupted.

In an instant.

Above the courtyard of the Zhuge family of Langya, purple qi surged like a bursting dam, and dragon qi roared like the fury of a divine dragon.

The void shattered at the center of their collision.

A series of spatial rifts, resembling a spiderweb, suddenly appeared, spreading in all directions as if to tear this world to shreds.

"Then we'll have no choice but to fight in the void of the seas outside the Han territory."

Upon hearing the Emperor of the Imperial Realm announce his name, Zhang Mu's originally arrogant eyes instantly became serious.

He wasn't afraid of this so-called "battle in the void of the sea".

Rather, it was the meaning represented by the character "肇" that stirred up considerable turmoil within him.

A comprehensive review of the emperors of the two Han dynasties.

The only person who used the character "肇" as a taboo was... Emperor He of Han, Liu Zhao!

Neither too firm nor too yielding is called harmony; a balance of firmness and yielding is called harmony.

Lenientness tempers severity, and severity tempers leniency; thus, governance is harmonious.

The posthumous title "He" may not be as famous as "Wu," "Wen," "Jing," or "Xuan," which immediately convey the name of a great and powerful ruler.

but.

It is absolutely a truly superior title.

The older the era, the more praise this posthumous title carries, unlike the later Tang Emperor Li Xian, which carried a mocking connotation of "promoting the virtuous and capable."

Staring intently at Liu Zhao, the Emperor of the Imperial Realm...

Zhang Mu's mind raced with images of the deeds of this Han emperor from his previous life.

At the age of fourteen, he joined forces with eunuchs to eliminate the powerful Dou family, a powerful maternal relative, and regained power, ruling the country in his own right.

During his tenure, he was diligent in government affairs, compassionate towards the people, and provided disaster relief, leading to a flourishing of the nation.

In foreign affairs, he was even more brilliant and resourceful, sending troops to defeat the Northern Xiongnu, who had plagued the country for a century, forcing them to migrate westward and completely resolving the northern border troubles.

He then dispatched Ban Chao to pacify the Western Regions, rebuild the Protectorate of the Western Regions, and his power and prestige shook all directions.

He also sent Gan Ying as an envoy to Daqin (the Roman Empire).

The Eastern Han Dynasty reached its zenith under his rule, creating the glorious "Yongyuan Era".

Although his posthumous title included the character "He" (和), his civil and military achievements were comparable to those of Liu Che, who was honored as the "Martial Emperor".

Calling him a "mini-Emperor Wu of Han" is by no means an exaggeration.

perhaps.

It was precisely because he was so exceptionally talented that he stole the fate and destiny of the later Han emperors...

After Liu Zhao, it was almost impossible for the Han dynasty to produce another wise and powerful emperor.

This directly initiated the path of decline and fall of the imperial dynasty, exemplified by the "Eastern Han Kindergarten," a path that evokes deep regret.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Zhang Mu looked at Emperor Liu Zhao of the Imperial Realm and suddenly laughed.

"This is getting more and more interesting!"

Zhang Mu's laughter carried a hint of amusement, curiosity, and a hidden murderous intent.

"What Mu is really curious about now is..."

"How many people in this world, who seem to be dead, are still alive?"

When he said this, the fighting spirit in Zhang Mu's eyes did not diminish; on the contrary, it became even more intense.

"you say……"

"If Mu kills you today, will other Han emperors at the Imperial level emerge one after another?"

Although Zhang Mu did not understand how this Han emperor, who had only reigned for seventeen years in his previous life, had become a powerful figure in this mythical world.

but.

However, he keenly sensed the abnormality in Liu Zhaohuang's realm.

Liu Zhao's imperial realm is completely different from Xiang Yu's "overlord imperial realm," which is based on his extreme cultivation of blood and martial arts and his ability to break through laws with force.

Xiang Yu's path to imperial power was based on strength and destruction; he relied on his unparalleled martial prowess to carve his way to that level.

The feeling he got from Liu Zhao's current Imperial Dao realm was...

more.

It seems to be an advancement achieved by combining imperial dragon energy with the ethereal fortune and destiny, with an element of taking shortcuts in the process.

To describe it using the ancient fantasy novels Zhang Mu read in his previous life:

They were both powerful sages from the primordial era, but Xiang Yu, like Pangu, proved his Dao through force, using his strength to subdue all others.

Liu Zhao, like Jieyin and Zhunti, attained sainthood through his great vows and good fortune.

Although he became a saint, his strength was seriously inflated.

Facing an emperor like Liu Zhao, Zhang Mu dared not say he could crush him, but he was absolutely certain he could protect himself.

Hearing Zhang Mu's almost rebellious and arrogant words...

Emperor Liu Zhao of the Imperial Realm was not easily provoked like an ordinary powerful figure. He merely shook his head slightly, his tone remaining unchanged, yet carrying a sense of wisdom and experience gained through the passage of time:

"The Three Sovereigns expanded the territory, and the Five Emperors established new lands."

"The Xia and Shang dynasties established their hegemonic rule, while the Spring and Autumn period discussed the rise and fall of kings."

"Your Majesty, I do not know how many people are still alive in this world, but I do know one thing..."

Emperor Liu Zhao's gaze fell on Zhang Mu.

Even emperors should have a sense of awe.

"The Emperor Realm may be invincible in its own time, but it may not be able to dominate throughout history."

"Do you know how many beings, more powerful than you and me, have been buried in the long river of history?"

"If you withdraw now, you will not only gain the goodwill of the imperial emperor of my Liu lineage, but also, when the world undergoes a great change in the future, many emperors, sovereigns, and ancient sages will return..."

"Boom!"

As they were talking, Emperor Liu Zhao's words seemed to have touched upon some unspeakable taboo.

The once clear blue sky was suddenly struck by a thunderclap.

The thunder was no ordinary thunder; it carried an indescribable power of rules, as if warning Liu Zhao not to reveal heavenly secrets.

Liu Zhao looked up at the suddenly vanished thunder in the sky before pausing slightly and saying, "That's all I have to say."

"If you insist on interfering with our plans..."

"Whoosh!"

His gaze suddenly turned sharp, like two peerless divine swords piercing towards Zhang Mu.

"Even if you are a royal being, I cannot let you live!"

"The fall of emperors is not uncommon in the long history of our Great Han Dynasty's rise to power!"

Emperor Liu Zhao of the Imperial Realm used both kindness and threats in his words, attempting to persuade Zhang Mu to retreat by citing his overwhelming power and unspeakable ancient historical secrets.

As a fellow expert at the Emperor Realm, he was unwilling to rashly start a war with Zhang Mu.

Moreover, facing Zhang Mu...

Liu Zhao wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he had a vague feeling that Zhang Mu possessed a terrifying aura.

He had only experienced that kind of terror in another ancestor in his past life.

however.

Faced with the words of this emperor...

Zhang Mu's eyes remained fixed on him like cold stars, unwavering.

But what followed was a chilling cold, and a sense of understanding and anger that came from realizing a certain truth.

"so……"

Zhang Mu's voice seemed to come from the deepest hell, icy and chilling.

"Is this the fundamental reason why, ever since your Liu family seized power, it has been difficult to produce a martial prime minister, a grandmaster, a royal realm, or a sage?"

"You have seized all the boundless fortune and destiny of the land of China to maintain the prosperity of your Liu family lineage."

"Even if others possess extraordinary talent and unparalleled abilities, they will never have a chance to rise to the top!"

"The world has never belonged to one family or clan, nor has there ever been an imperial dynasty that lasts forever!"

"You are all too greedy!"

"If you were to truly revive the Han dynasty three times, how would the countless common people and powerful cultivators be any different from the pigs and dogs you raise for your own consumption?"

Zhang Mu's eyes seemed to pierce through time and space, staring directly at Liu Zhao's imperial origins.

there.

He felt waves of intense resentment and curses.

Those were the unwilling roars and furious cries of beings who had fallen from the realm of emperors and sages!

It is also the lament of countless peerless geniuses being strangled in their cradle, and the accusation of countless heroic souls being crushed to ashes.

"hehe……"

Zhang Mu let out a cold laugh, filled with endless mockery and contempt.

"What you mean by 'the fall of emperors' is that your Liu family's lineage of emperors hunted down other emperors and sages in order to maintain their long-lasting rule, seizing their fortunes and turning them into nourishment for their own growth?"

Zhang Mu's words resonated deeply in Liu Zhao's mind.

For the first time, a subtle change appeared on the face of this imperial emperor.

He didn't expect that.

This young man in front of me has so boldly discovered my biggest secret, and even dared to say it in public!

"You want to die?!"

Emperor Liu Zhao's voice was no longer calm, but carried a hint of cold killing intent.

The killing intent was so palpable that it caused the surrounding temperature to drop several degrees.