Chapter 168: The Boy of Unknown Origin

“Luo Xuan.” Jiang Li strolled casually across the court hall.

The Yong Emperor shuddered upon hearing Jiang Li call his name and hurriedly responded, “Here!”

“I heard you wanted to meet me when you ascended the throne. Truly sorry—back then I was busy in another world and didn’t manage to see you. My apologies.” Jiang Li looked apologetic.

“No, no, Human Sovereign, you have countless responsibilities. How would I dare take up your time?” The Yong Emperor gave a servile smile.

“No need for ‘your’ this or that. After all, your power has far exceeded my imagination. I was merely eating a flatbread on the street, and just because it happened to involve the word ‘ming,’ I was thrown into a dungeon. At this rate, I’m sure Great Yong will soon become the number one dynasty in the Nine Provinces—swallowing the world whole, and maybe even plucking the sun and moon from the sky.”

“Click. Impressive. Such grandeur.”

Of course the Yong Emperor could tell Jiang Li was mocking him, but he didn’t dare say a word in return.

“I think you’ve got more authority than I do. How about this—why don’t you become the next Human Sovereign? I’ll step down. After you ascend, you can issue an order banning the characters ‘Jiang’ and ‘Li’ from appearing anywhere in the world.”

“I think that’s a brilliant idea, Luo Xuan. What do you think?”

Cold sweat poured down the Yong Emperor’s back. He knew exactly what he was worth. Becoming Yong Emperor was partly due to seizing the throne—but more importantly, his surname was Luo, making him of royal blood. His ascension was barely justified.

But being the Human Sovereign was a different matter. That position was earned by fist and blade, by defeating all other Human Sovereign candidates in combat. Only then could one be called Human Sovereign.

If he so much as dared try to take that title, he wouldn’t survive till dawn. He’d be mobbed to death by Tribulation Stage cultivators before nightfall.

The Yong Emperor knew Jiang Li was joking—becoming Human Sovereign was decided by the Nine Provinces Earth Veins, not by Jiang Li himself. But Jiang Li could afford to joke about it—he could not.

That kind of joke could cost a man his life.

What he couldn’t understand was why Jiang Li was so angry this time.

As far as he knew, the Human Sovereign often changed his appearance to patrol the Nine Provinces and was frequently arrested by local officials who were corrupt or biased. But Jiang Li always handled those incidents with a smile, calmly explaining things and proving his innocence—with reason or with fists.

He had never lost his temper over something like this.

“A misunderstanding. Just a misunderstanding.” The Yong Emperor quickly spoke, glancing at the constable and local official now trembling with fear.

Those two weren’t fighting over credit anymore. They had arrested the Human Sovereign and even proudly presented him to the Emperor as a criminal.

They were probably doomed today.

“Constable Wang, you’ve done a stellar job this time. To even come up with the idea that eating a flatbread could imply ‘ming’—that’s top-tier deduction.”

“No, no, it was all Lord Li’s guidance. He told us to use our heads and think of the most underhanded ways. I wouldn’t dare steal his credit.”

“No, no, it’s all thanks to you, Constable Wang…”

“No, Lord Li, it’s really—”

The two muttered back and forth, nearly arguing on the spot.

If Jiang Li and the Yong Emperor weren’t standing right there, the two might’ve actually come to blows.

“Shut up!” The Yong Emperor’s face was burning with shame. “Human Sovereign, forgive the embarrassment. These two are to blame—resorting to any means for merit. I’ll dismiss them both immediately, toss them into the Celestial Prison, and put them through a triple hearing!”

Constable Wang and Lord Li turned pale.

“Get lost!” Jiang Li exploded with fury and strode toward the Yong Emperor.

Seeing Jiang Li bearing down on him, the Yong Emperor backed away in fright.

“You blame your own incompetence on your subordinates. Just because they call you ‘Your Majesty,’ you really think you’re some enlightened sage, a faultless saint?!”

“If you hadn’t been paranoid and ordered three hundred people to be arrested, would they have bent over backward trying to figure out how to catch that many?!”

“They may have done wrong—but not nearly as wrong as you!”

“Is it that hard to admit you made a mistake?!”

With every word, Jiang Li took another step forward. With each step, the Yong Emperor backed away.

Until, suddenly, he realized—Jiang Li now stood high on the court platform, and he himself had retreated all the way to the base of the hall, standing shoulder to shoulder with the flatbread and banana vendors.

Standing in the center of the great hall, the Yong Emperor looked at the vendors and said shamefully, “It was my muddled thinking at the time that led to such a foolish decree. Once I return—no, right now—I will abolish the order and issue an edict of self-reproach. Three years of tax exemption, to prove my remorse.”

Jiang Li’s expression finally softened.

“Luo Xuan, remember—think three times before issuing any decree. Never act on impulse. Actually, there’s no need to be so nervous. Aside from this ridiculous ban on the word ‘ming,’ the rest of your governance has been passable. You’re stronger than your brother Luo Zheng, at least. As for your nephew Luo Ming, I haven’t met him, so I won’t comment.”

“Luo Xuan will remember.” The Yong Emperor bowed deeply.

The ban on the word “ming” had seemed grand, but Luo Xuan hadn’t been so foolish as to execute those arrested. Most were simply held for a while and released—more for show than punishment.

If he had dared brand them all as traitors and execute them, Jiang Li wouldn’t be lecturing him about being a wise ruler. He would’ve just taken action and replaced him with another emperor.

The Human Sovereign held authority to oversee all Nine Provinces monarchs.

To show his sincerity, the Yong Emperor personally went to the dungeon to release the prisoners—but the moment he entered, he was stunned.

Four Fusion Stage Commanders of the Human Sovereign Hall were sitting around playing mahjong. Commander Huang had a note stuck to his forehead that read: “I am mahjong.”

Who would’ve thought that the usually silent and reserved Commander Huang would be the one talking behind people’s backs?

What did it mean to slack off? This was called “appropriate relaxation,” okay?

Zhang Konghu had wanted to persuade his colleagues to stop, but then he remembered how Commander Huang’s cultivation method had nearly made him cry, humiliating him. So instead, he shouted “Stop playing! Stop playing!” while secretly kicking them twice.

The junior cultivator watched the brawl between Fusion Stage experts and didn’t dare interfere.

So this… this was what battles between Fusion Stage powerhouses looked like? Terrifying.

The Yong Emperor recognized the five Fusion Stage Commanders of the Human Sovereign Hall and, for a moment, was completely at a loss for what to do.

“Ahem, my Commanders are always very lively. This is just normal interaction,” Jiang Li said, trying to smooth things over.

…What divine virtue did my dungeon possess to house these titans? the Yong Emperor thought as he swallowed hard.

He really wanted to ask how these people had gotten locked up, but feared it would make things awkward. So he pretended not to know any of them and waved his hand: release them all.

At that moment, the system issued a new notification.

【Special Mission Released: “Search for the Stairway to Immortality Fragment.” A mysterious guest has arrived in the Huan Yu World, sending out the Twelve Heavenly Kings and plunging the world into chaos. With the help of local powers, defeat one of the Twelve—“King Chaos.”】
【This mission cannot be declined】
【Mission Reward: Fragment of the Stairway to Immortality】
【During the mission, you may travel between the Huan Yu World and the Nine Provinces once for free】
…

Extreme North.
A group of thinly dressed cultivators dashed through the snow, light on their feet. Each leap launched them over ten meters.
The Extreme North was freezing, cold enough to freeze water mid-air. These cultivators were only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, far from immune to the cold. But they each carried a Warming Talisman made by the Dao Sect, tucked into their robes. Not only did they not feel cold—they were even a bit hot.
“Where are the Ice Crystal Flowers? We’ve been searching for more than half a month and still haven’t found any.” One cultivator complained, “If this weren’t an academy assignment, I’d never come to a place like this to study the growth environment of Ice Crystal Flowers.”

They were students of the Great Zhou Imperial Academy. After a speech by Jiang Li, the previous dean voluntarily stepped down, and the new dean took office, encouraging everyone to think more and take more initiative.
For a time, both students and teachers became actively engaged in scholarly pursuits, and the academy’s atmosphere improved drastically.
This group of students received an assignment from their teacher—to argue the necessity of Ice Crystal Flowers growing in the Extreme North.
“Alright, quiet down. It’s not like we’re unlucky—we just happened to draw this topic. Everyone, stay focused, keep searching, let’s find it as soon as possible so we can finish the task and go home.” The cultivator leading the group tried to encourage them, but her words didn’t have much effect. The cultivators were listlessly skimming over the snowy ground.
“Hey, look over there!” a cultivator cried out.
“What is it, did you finally find the Ice Crystal Flower?” Everyone perked up.
“No, it’s a person!”
The students rushed over. It was a large pit, and there was someone inside.
It was a boy, about fifteen or sixteen years old. Probably because he’d been frozen for too long, his face was deathly pale, and his injuries looked severe. A Warming Talisman was placed on his body.
“What happened here, was it an attack?” There were indeed some Beast Demons that ruled over the Extreme North, commanding hordes of lesser minions. The students assumed this boy had been attacked by one of them.
With something like this, the investigation couldn’t continue. Everyone scrambled to lift the boy out, only to find that beneath him were three Ice Crystal Flowers—extremely rare.
But no one had time to worry about the mission now. Saving the boy came first.
Back aboard the flying boat, the physician checked his pulse and found the boy had only passed out from exhaustion. His injuries looked serious but weren’t fatal.
The physician channeled some gentle spiritual energy into him, and after a short while, the boy slowly opened his eyes.
He suddenly sat up, alarmed at the unfamiliar surroundings. He quickly opened his hand, saw the talisman was still there and undamaged, and finally let out a sigh of relief.
People saw the talisman in his hand and didn’t think much of it.
When traveling, who doesn’t carry a few talismans?
The boy realized these people had saved him and gratefully thanked them.
But then they realized—they couldn’t understand a word he was saying.
“That’s strange. The language across the Nine Provinces was unified ages ago. Where’s this boy from?”
Of course, the academy wouldn’t let students come to the Extreme North alone. A flying boat had been dispatched specifically to escort them, led by a Nascent Soul Stage teacher.
Even that well-traveled teacher had never encountered a situation like this.
The boy looked dazed, as if confused about why they couldn’t understand him. It seemed he’d been asleep for far too long—even his memory was fuzzy.
As his mind cleared, he finally remembered where he had been, what this place was—then began to tremble uncontrollably.
Fire, death, despair.
Those were his memories from before he was teleported.
…
“Abu, remember anything yet?” The students looked at the boy with sympathy. Poor thing—attacked by Beast Demons, gravely wounded, passed out, lost all memory, didn’t even remember his own name or how to speak the Nine Provinces dialect.
The students had given him the name “Abu.”
It took several days before Abu slowly began to recall how to speak the Nine Provinces language, though he still spoke with a stutter.
“Still nothing.” Abu shook his head, looking dispirited. “Zhu Zhu, can you tell me more about the powers in the Nine Provinces? Maybe I’ll remember something.”
“Sure.” Zhu Zhu was a warm-hearted female student. She sat beside Abu and said, “On the Nine Provinces Continent, the main forces are the Human Sovereign Hall, the Nine Great Dynasties, the Six Great Sects, and the Four Seas Dragon Palace. In addition to that, there are also many top-tier powers, like the ever-present Tianji Tower, the Spirit Herb Sect ranked second in alchemy, the up-and-coming Luban Sect, and more.”
“The Nine Great Dynasties have existed for over ten thousand years, with unimaginably deep foundations. Even if the monarchs themselves aren’t that strong, once they’re blessed with Nation’s Fortune, they can go head-to-head with Tribulation Stage powerhouses. Of course, Empress Yu Yin is an exception—she’s a Tribulation Stage cultivator herself and doesn’t need any boost from national power.”
“Then there are the Six Great Sects, all of which have immortal legacies. The scariest one is the Dao Sect. It’s said they have an immortal who has sat in meditation for tens of thousands of years. He’s never acted, but when he does, heaven and earth change color.”
Abu’s eyes lit up when he heard “immortal”: “Immortal? Are immortals really that powerful?”
Zhu Zhu chuckled at his question. “Abu, you really lost your memory, huh? All us cultivators dream of becoming immortals. Of course immortals are powerful!”
“But even immortals aren’t the strongest. In our Nine Provinces, the strongest is Human Sovereign Jiang Li.”
“Human Sovereign?” Abu seemed unfamiliar with the title. He repeated it.
Zhu Zhu thought he might have remembered something and said, “The Human Sovereign is our pride. Without his protection, the Nine Provinces wouldn’t be at peace. We’d have been wiped out by the Outer World Demons long ago.”
“What are Outer World Demons?” Abu kept asking. That phrase seemed to echo the horrifying beings in his memory—origin unknown, falling from the sky like demons or ghosts, plunging the world into a sea of fire.
“Well…” For Zhu Zhu, accurately describing Outer World Demons was no easy task. “They’re basically evil beings from beyond the Nine Provinces, trying to destroy everything.”
“But we don’t need to worry. The current Human Sovereign is the strongest in history. He’s reached the Mahayana Stage, something no cultivator has done in tens of thousands of years. He’s practically invincible—even immortals fall before him!” Zhu Zhu laughed. Their generation treated Outer World Demons like bedtime stories.
“How can anyone be stronger than an immortal? Don’t tease me just because I lost my memory.” Abu shook his head. “I don’t believe it.”
Hearing someone doubt her idol, Zhu Zhu got a bit defensive.
“Don’t say that. Maybe you don’t remember what an Outer World Demon is—and fine, I haven’t seen one either. The last one showed up a hundred years ago. But that’s not the point. Our teachers say all Outer World Demons are at least at the immortal level. They’re completely unreasonable—kill anyone they see. Many past Human Sovereigns sacrificed themselves fighting them.”
“But Jiang Li is different. He’s called the strongest not just because he’s Mahayana Stage, but because he can easily kill Outer World Demons!”
“Is that true?” Abu’s eyes went wide, trembling with shock, even his voice was shaking.
Zhu Zhu thought he was simply happy that the Nine Provinces didn’t fear Outer World Demons, and didn’t think too much of it.
There’s hope. My home has hope. Abu silently repeated, biting his lip hard, eyes glimmering with tears as he clutched the talisman tightly.
His homeland had been attacked by an unknown force—savage beyond belief, killing all in sight. Corpses filled the streets. His father had given him a talisman and told him to run.
He fled with tears in his eyes, clutching that talisman, escaping death, and teleported into this unfamiliar but incomparably powerful world.
He had thought the enemy was invincible, that his homeland was doomed, and that he was the only survivor.
But to think… this world had someone so strong it defied imagination.
Maybe the Human Sovereign they spoke of… could save his homeland.