Martial Cultivator

Chapter 288: Two People Meeting by the Lake

An hour later, the Great Liang Emperor walked through the mountain of corpses and sea of blood. Demon blood was not all red; due to different races, the color of blood varied. After the multi-colored blood pooled here, it flowed into the distance like a colorful river.

The Great Liang Emperor's emperor robe remained untarnished, as if he had casually walked through this demon army that was ordered to march towards Bluestone Pass, effortlessly defeating them.

The entire expanse of the desolate north was dead silent.

This Great Liang Emperor, who was once a vassal prince back then, had once been to the Northern Frontier. Although he did not go to the front lines, he had taken care of many demons too. At that time, he still occasionally displayed his skills. However, after he rose in rebellion and ascended to the throne, he rarely displayed his skills anymore. Over the years, he sat high on the throne, watching everything in the world. But, he never personally took action. Although the world knew he stepped into the Nepenthe Realm, no one knew how far he had walked within the Nepenthe Realm and how powerful he had become.

This journey to the desolate north might be the moment when this Great Liang Emperor displayed his might as the monarch of the human race once again after many years.

Although no one had witnessed his first two displays, he exterminated a great demon with a wave of his hand the first time. The second time, he annihilated a demon army marching south. After the news spread, all cultivators in the world would probably fall into silence.

Continuing northward, he traveled slowly through the vast plains of the desolate north. Occasionally, he would see clusters of demon tribes in the distance. Although the Demon King's Court had been established for over a millennium, it had not formed a governing structure similar to humanity. The territory of the Demon King's Court was casually divided, with a great demon ruling over a piece, but there were basically no cities that were built.

The thirty thousand miles of the desolate north was originally ceded to the demons by the human race when the demons advanced southward. Due to its proximity to the Northern Frontier's Great Wall, frequent conflicts occurred, leaving this territory as a no man's land in the demon race's territory. No great demon chose to claim this land as their territory, only some demons who were unable to survive deep within demon territory, chose to migrate south and settle here with their families.

The Great Liang Emperor arrived in front of a small tribe. It consisted of only a few tents and less than a hundred demons. It could hardly be called a tribe.

Two or three children were playing in front of those tents, some with horns on their heads and others with wings on their backs, all exhibiting characteristics of the demon race.

Unlike the demons within the Great Liang's borders, these children could have human-like features since birth because they were born to parents who had cultivated for many years. This was because a portion of their parents' bloodline power would be infused into them at birth, making them naturally stronger than the demons within the Great Liang borders.

However, to completely erase these demonic characteristics, they would have to cultivate well. Only when their cultivation reached a sufficient level would it be possible.

The Great Liang Emperor stood there for a moment and did not show any intention of eradicating this small tribe. However, the playing children soon noticed the human monarch. Perhaps out of an innate bloodline fear towards powerhouses, they quickly ran away in fear after seeing this human monarch, not daring to say anything.

Soon after, some adult demons ran out from within. However, when they saw the Great Liang Emperor, fear quickly filled their faces. They knelt down in haste, and an old demon with white hair looked at the Great Liang Emperor and pleaded, "We have never eaten any humans. Could you spare our lives?"

Although this elderly demon was already very old and did not have much lifespan left, he still begged for mercy, unwilling to die just yet.

Behind him, the other demons on their knees also spoke, all pleading for mercy. They were right; they indeed had never eaten any humans before. However, that did not mean they would not in the future.

The Great Liang Emperor ignored their pleas and looked towards the depths of the tribe. In one of the tents, a demon youth was gripping a short blade tightly, nervously glancing in this direction. His eyes revealed an undisguised hatred.

The Great Liang Emperor inexplicably remembered the folk stories he read in his youth, then shook his head as his mind stirred..

Being glanced at by the Great Liang Emperor, that demon youth's complexion instantly turned pale. His eyes widened dramatically, and in an instant, blood flowed from his lips, and he ceased to live.

Sensing the indifferent killing intent, the other demons were terrified, trembling on the ground and not daring to lift their heads.

Demons had their pride, but something like a backbone was relatively easy to develop when the gap between both parties was not significant. However, the wider the gap, the more challenging it became.

Killing a demon youth, even one with somewhat decent talent, did not hold much excitement for the Great Liang Emperor. He simply looked indifferently into the distance, lost in thought.

……

……

When a human monarch ventured into the north, into territories once belonging to humans, what would happen?

Such an event had never occurred before, so no one knew exactly what would happen.

He continued his journey, occasionally killing a couple of demons. In the end, he had only killed fewer than ten.

At this moment, he had already ventured ten thousand miles deep into the desolate north.

If the Northern Frontier Army were to learn of this, they would likely mobilize immediately to support their Emperor. If the court officials in the Divine Capital were to find out, they might overturn the entire Divine Capital in anxiety.

A human monarch should not plunge into such a dangerous situation no matter what, because if this human monarch were to perish here, it was evident that chaos would ensue throughout the land.

However, he had likely made some arrangements for the Great Liang since he had already come here.

As this human monarch continued his journey north, the pre-established strategies of the demons were disrupted, and no demons went to the Bluestone Pass from start to end.

On this day, the Great Liang Emperor arrived at a river and slowly came to a stop. In the vast desolate north, rivers crisscrossed the landscape, and the abundance of water and grass made it an ideal place for raising horses. However, ever since the humans ceded this land, humanity had lost this natural pasture for horses.

The reason why the Great Liang Emperor chose to stop here was not because he remembered something, but because he spotted an unfamiliar face by the river.

It was a slender middle-aged man wearing an ill-fitting robe. His emaciated figure was completely shrouded in it.

"To actually be able to meet you in this desolate north in this lifetime, it's truly the good fortune cultivated over three lifetimes."

The middle-aged man slowly said, his voice filled with genuine sincerity.

Encountering a human monarch in the desolate north was never an easy feat.

Since it was not easy, why not feel pleasantly surprised?

The Great Liang Emperor asked calmly, "Who are you?"

The middle-aged man seemed to have anticipated the Great Liang Emperor's inquiry and quickly answered, "I am the High Priest of the demon race; roughly equivalent to the Grand Secretary in Your Majesty's imperial court."

The High Priest of the demon race looked at the Great Liang Emperor and said with a smile, "Upon learning that Your Majesty ventured into the depths of this desolate north, His Majesty sent me to inquire about the purpose of this trip."

The Great Liang Emperor was well aware that the 'his majesty' mentioned by the demon race's High Priest was the Demon Emperor of the Demon King's Court. However, he did not answer that question and instead said, "Since We have already come, isn't he coming to meet Us?"

"You also know that humans have always been cunning. Someone of Your Majesty's status actually came here, this seems far from simple no matter what. It's hard to say if this is a trap orchestrated by you."

The Demon High Priest smiled as he looked at the Great Liang Emperor.

The Great Liang Emperor did not answer him. With his strength, he could naturally sense that there were no powerhouses around who were really waiting in ambush.

"This is the desolate north. Is he scared within these thirty thousand miles too?"

There was a hint of mockery in the Great Liang Emperor's voice, causing the Demon High Priest to furrow his brows.

"These thirty thousand miles of desolate north used to belong to humans. Even though it now belongs to the demons, it always feels uncomfortable."

The Great Liang Emperor said indifferently, "If you don't want it, then give it."

He said this sentence very simply. It was not to return it, but to give it.

Give it.

The Demon High Priest extended his hand, and a swaying little flower appeared at his fingertips.

Then, with a glance, the small flower shattered, turning into history and the past.

"If Your Majesty wants these thirty thousand miles of desolate north, it's actually very easy. Just sign Your Majesty's name on that agreement."

The Demon High Priest brought up that old matter, his voice carrying a hint of temptation.

However, the Great Liang Emperor paid him no attention. The so-called agreement, for the Great Liang Emperor, undoubtedly meant ceding the thirty thousand miles of desolate north once again. The cost would be even greater and more humiliating than ceding the thirty thousand miles of desolate north, so he would never put his name on it no matter what.

"We don't understand, how did they determine that We wouldn't kill you?"

The Great Liang Emperor suddenly looked up, looking at the Demon High Priest before him.

The Demon High Priest was momentarily taken aback, then smiled and said, "With someone of Your Majesty's stature, it's unthinkable for you to act so shamelessly. As the saying goes, 'In war, emissaries are not to be killed.' I represent His Majesty, the Demon Emperor. I'm his envoy."

The Great Liang Emperor looked at him indifferently. Although his eyes had no killing intent, killing intent had already spread all over heaven and earth.

"We aren't particularly fond of him. Since We are already here, why hide in the distance?"

The Great Liang Emperor felt the wind blowing through the air, smelling an incomparably rich demonic aura.

The Demon High Priest's expression turned somewhat strange, but he suppressed his curiosity and chuckled, "His Demon Majesty is still in the royal capital, why would he be here?"

The Great Liang Emperor ignored him, He just looked into the distance, his expression still indifferent.

Before long, a gust of wind swept through, making it difficult to keep one's eyes open.

It was unknown how long had passed.

Another equally imposing figure appeared by the lakeside.

This towering figure was the demon race's Demon Emperor.

Thus, they met.

Two sovereigns.

The two powerful existences representing the human and demon races met here.

This was the most significant event in these thousand years, worthy of being recorded in the annals of history.